1835,] on Urine, 3 



basins, and the like, in which children who gather them 

 pretend to discern fairy utensils." The streamlet is *' after 

 traversing the romantic ravine called the Nameless Dean, 

 thrown off from side to side alternately, like a billiard ball 

 repelled by the sides of the table on which it has been 

 played." 



Article II. 



Oh Urine, By Thomas Thomson, M.D., F.R.S. L. & E., 

 &c., Regius Professor of Chemistry in the University of 

 Glasgow. 



Human urine when newly emitted has usually a yellow 

 colour and is perfectly transparent. It is said that when 

 allowed to stand in a glass, it gradually deposits a small 

 quantity of mucous sediment. But I have been able to 

 observe this only occasionally, when in all probability the 

 secretion of mucus had been increased by some circumstance 

 or other. In certain diseases of the bladder, the quantity of 

 mucus in urine is very considerable, and it occasionally 

 puts on an appearance so like pus that the diagnosis is very 

 difficult. 



Urine newly emitted has a very distinct aromatic smell, 

 which has been compared to that of violets. When it cools 

 the aromatic odour leaves it and is succeeded by another 

 well known by the name of urinous. This odour is in two 

 or three days succeeded usually by another, which has 

 considerable resemblance to that of sour milk. This smell 

 gradually disappears in its turn and is succeeded by a fetid 

 ammoniacal odour. 



Urine has a disagreeable bitter saline taste of very 

 various degrees of intensity. Sometimes so slight that it 

 can barely be distinguished from that of water. In such 

 cases it is nearly colourless. When urine is high coloured 

 its taste is always strong. 



Nothing is more variable than the colour of urine. The 

 most common colour is yellow of various shades ; some- 

 times it passes into orange or even into red. It is said to 

 be deeper in men than in women, but I have not been able 

 to satisfy myself that any such difference exists. There is 



B 2 



