URINE. 



1281 



animal. He detected it by using alum as a 

 mordant for pieces of cloth soaked in the 

 urine. He detected the presence of bicar- 

 bonates of lime and magnesia, and hippurate of 

 soda. He could not find any phosphates, nor 

 uric acid. 



The urine of rabbits and guinea-pigs has an 

 alkaline reaction, and contains alkaline and 

 earthy carbonates. It presents no peculiar 

 qualities. 



Von Bibra analysed the urine of the hare, 

 both in summer and in winter. In December 

 he found the urine turbid and alkaline, de- 

 positing phosphate of magnesia. In June it 

 was only faintly alkaline. The proportion of 

 earthy phosphates present was more than 

 twice as great in summer as in winter, which 

 Simon remarks upon as probably caused by 

 the great difference in the food of the hare 

 during the two seasons. With respect to his 

 examination of the urines of herbivora, Von 

 Bibra states he obtained in most of them 

 indications of the presence of humic acid, or 

 a substance closely allied to it. 



As regards these analyses, which are 

 quoted from Simon's work on animal che- 

 mistry, it would appear a matter of regret 

 that experiments have not been made on an 

 extended scale on the same animal, under 

 different conditions ; more especially under 

 variations in food, temperature, and moisture. 

 Such form of inquiry could not fail to be of 

 eminent service to physiology, and much light 

 might thus be thrown on the question of 

 diet, in respect to constitution and predis- 

 position to disease, a subject greatly needing 

 elucidation, notwithstanding the labour and 

 ingenious activity which has been devoted to 

 it during the last few years. 



Urine of Birds, &c. The' urine of birds is 

 excreted from the cloaca in the form of a thin 

 paste, which hardens by exposure. Urate of 

 ammonia is the principal constituent. The 

 urine of carnivorous birds, however, contains 

 urea in considerable quantity, which distin- 

 guishes it from that of birds feeding on vege- 

 table substances. Chemists have also described 

 a green colouring matter, as peculiar to the 

 urine of carnivorous birds. 



The constituents of the urine of the ostrich, 

 according to Vanquelin and Fourcroy, are 



Uric acid. 



Sulphate of potassa. 



Sulphate of lime. 



Chloride of ammonia. 



Oily matter. 



A peculiar animal matter. 



Acetic acid (?) 



The urine of serpents is excreted in the 

 form of a white, earthy mass. It is made up 

 of uric acid, combined with potassa, soda, and 

 ammonia. Phosphate of lime is also present. 



Cass and Henry state that they obtained 

 urea from the urine of serpents. That prin- 

 ciple was sought for in vain, however, by 

 Vanquelin and Fourcroy. 



Simon gives the following as the result of 

 an analysis of the urine of a rattle-snake. He 



VOL. IV. 



25-70 



operated on 100 parts, weighed, when quite 

 dry. 



Free uric acid, some fat, and ex-"|^ r( , . 



tractive matters - J 



Urate of ammonia - 3T1 



Urate of soda, with some chloride "I Q .g 



of sodium - - J 



Urate of lime - - 1 '4 



Phosphate of lime - - 1'3 



Dr. J. Davey examined the urine of the 

 bull-frog (rana taurina). He found it of spe- 

 cific gravity 1003. Urea, chloride of sodium, 

 and a little phosphate of lime were also pre- 

 sent. 



Mart-hand's analysis of the urine of the 

 land-tortoise (testudo tubulata) yielded the 

 following result, 



Water 950'64 



Urea - - 6-40 



Uric acid - 17 "25 



Salts and indeterminate organic 1 



matter - - J 



There was no hippuric acid in this urine. It 

 possessed a faintly acid reaction, and is stated 

 to have presented the appearance of pus. 

 Ether extracted a brownish-coloured fat, 

 having an urinous odour.* 



URINE IN DISEASE. 



With respect to the urine of the human 

 subject, it has been shown that considerable 

 variation occurs in health according to the 

 modifications which may have been made in 

 diet. The urine of the lower animals is doubt- 

 less, to a certain extent, amenable to the same 

 rule. We observe also striking differences 

 in the urine of herbivora fed on similar diets, 

 as has been noticed above in the case of the 

 horse and the ox, both graminivorous animals 

 and fed nearly alike for experiment, but whose 

 urine showed, on analysis, very marked and 

 important differences. This variation in the 

 result of the digestive process would appear, 

 in such case, to depend upon the internal 

 arrangement of the chylopoietic organs, and 

 should perhaps more especially be attributed 

 to differences in the minute anatomy of the 

 mucous secreting surfaces. Certain fixed 

 variations, then, are to be observed in the 

 constitution of the urine as results of differ- 

 ence in healthy anatomy ; and so in the same 

 way, when certain organs are affected by dis- 

 ease, we find a set of changes occurring in 

 the urine quite as marked in character ; and 

 it is of especial moment to the physician 

 that he should be able easily and accurately 

 to appreciate them. While studying those 

 conditions, it is however of the highest im- 

 portance that the changes which diet, the 

 temperature to which the body may have 

 been exposed, the amount of moisture in the 

 air, &c., should be considered, and that the 

 physician should be able to separate in his 

 mind those phenomena which are indicative 



* Quoted by Simon from Erdmann and Mar- 

 chand's Journal, 1845. iv. 4. 



4 N 



