1915] /. Bronfenhrenner, J. Rockman and W. J. Mitchell, Jr. 81 



positive in clinical tuberculosis, but also that, in a number of cases 

 of Pneumothorax, the quantity of neutral sulfur ran parallel with 

 other clinical Symptoms of the disease, and always became negative 

 in cases which could be considered clinically cured. Tecon and 

 Aimart,^ Jaquerod,® Kaplansky/ and others, have also found the 

 presence of excess of neutral sulfur, in urine, of diagnostic as well as 

 prognostic value in tuberculosis. 



In studying the question of serum diagnosis of tuberculosis in 

 this hospital, we have had a number of cases in which positive serum 

 findings were the only Symptoms of possible infection, all other 

 data, except the Von Pirquet test, speaking against tuberculosis. 

 We naturally thought of the possibility of Controlling such positive 

 findings with other tests. Since, according to the authors cited 

 above, the presence of neutral sulfur in urine is of high diagnostic 

 value, we compared our serological findings, in a number of cases, 

 with those obtained in the examination of the urines. 



From the very nature of the test for neutral sulfur, it is evident 

 that it cannot be specific for tuberculosis; on the contrary, it is 

 quite constant in typhoid, for instance. In order to introduce the 

 necessary corrections in the final results, we decided to ascertain, 

 by first examining at random a number of cases, what conditions, 

 besides those of tuberculosis and typhoid, favor the occurrence of 

 an excess of neutral sulfur in the urine. 



Tech NIC and results. In the preliminary examinations, as 

 well as in the later ones, both the Ehrlich and the Weiss procedures 

 were used in parallel tests. 



DiaSiO test. The reagents for this test, consisting of (a) 0.5 

 percent sol. of sodium nitrite and (b) a. sol. of 5 gm. of sulfanilic 

 acid in 50 c.c. of conc. hydrochloric acid sol. diluted to 1000 o.e. 

 with distilled water, are kept in separate Stocks. Of these reagents, 

 50 parts of the sulfanilic acid sol. and i of the sodium nitrite sol. 

 are freshly mixed for use in the test. 



An equal volume of this freshly mixed reagent is added to 5 c.c. 

 of urine and, after shaking, an excess of strong ammonium hy- 



5 Tecon and Aimart: Presse medicale, 1914, p. 131. 

 ^ Jaquerod : Discussion, ibidem. 

 ^ Kaplansky : Discussion, ibidem. 



