Physiological Action of ZTranium Salts. 15 



sjiecific action of the poison on the liver cells would in a measure ex- 

 plain the temporary glycosuria, which appears and then disappears so 

 frequently in uranium poisoning. Further, by a combination of this 

 specific action with the non-absorption of nutritive matter through 

 retarded digestion, it would be easy to explain the alternate appear- 

 ance, disappearance and re-appearance, of sugar in the urine in these 

 cases. Where the symptoms run their course wnth a fair degree of 

 rapidity, as in continued dosing with uranium, sugar appears in the 

 urine for a few days and then disappears, although the amount of 

 uranium administered may be steadily increased. In fact, the in- 

 creased dose of uranium is doubtless the cause of the further non- 

 appearance of the sugar, since the stored up carbohydrate material 

 having been wholly used up, and at the same time digestion and ab- 

 sorption being prevented, there is no more carbohydrate-producing 

 material available, either directly or indirectly. On the other hand, 

 if, after the sugar at first present has disappeared from the urine, 

 there comes an interval of a day or so when uranium is not adminis- 

 tered and digestion again starts up, then the specific action may 

 again come into play and a temporary glycosuria again result. This 

 condition was noticed in experiment No. II. 



In some of the experiments, there seems to have been a visible 

 change in the hepatic cells, as in the experiment next to be described, 

 where under the microscope the cell bodies appeared as if collected 

 into small granules or even broken down. Again, in some experi- 

 ments, as in No. V, there was a noticeable pulpy degeneration of the 

 liver cells. 



Experiment VIII. 



In this experiment, the uranium salt was introduced by hypodermic 

 injection. 0'23 gram of uranyl nitrate in a little water was injected 

 beneath the skin of the leg of a good-sized rabbit, on June 20th at 4.0 

 p. M. Two days after he showed marked weakness, although his 

 appetite remained good. On the following day he appeared quite 

 dormant and could be roused only with difficulty ' power of motion 

 seemed to be nearly gone. He died the next day at noon. On June 

 21st, the day following the administration of the uranium, 60 c.c. of 

 alkaline urine were passed containing 0"234 gram of albumin and 

 0*660 gram of sugar. After this, there was complete suppression of 

 urine till death. 



Post-mortem. — Heart had stopped in diastole ; lungs nornial. The 

 liver was mottled and congested slightly in areas. Under the micro- 



