OP ALBUMINURIA. 15 



larity and congestion. Both these alternations have 

 been observed in the progress of disease, and afford 

 additional proofs of the truth of the above theory. 



When chronic inflammation causes the deposit of 

 a solid matter in the vascular tissue of the organ, a 

 state of more or less congestion must evidently 

 be produced in the remainder. For this deposit 

 occupies the place of blood-vessels, compresses 

 those contiguous to it, and ultimately causes their 

 destruction, while, as the renal arteries bring in as 

 much blood as when all the vessels of the gland 

 existed, it follows that more than usual must be 

 distributed to the remaining ones; and as the 

 number of those still pervious is gradually reduced 

 by the obliteration of fresh vessels, a degree of en- 

 gorgement of them must occur to some extent. It 

 is from the slow and gradual manner in which the 

 deposition generally takes place that the quantity of 

 albumen effused is so small in proportion to the 

 extent of vascular tissue destroyed, as the remaining 

 vessels have had time to enlarge : but when the 



O * 



morbid action goes on most rapidly, the proportion 

 of albumen in the urine will be greater, and in the 

 most insidious cases it will be very minute. 



Applying this reasoning not only to the more 

 regular form of chronic inflammation, or that in 

 which the kidneys are granular or mottled, but to 

 all kinds of morbid deposit in these organs, we shall 

 see how far they admit of a similar explanation. 

 Cases of albuminous urine from other causes have 

 been met with by Solon in dropsy and obliteration 

 of the cortical portion by cysts : by Rayer in three 



