and Laboratory Methods. 1929 



ELEMENTARY MEDICAL MICRO-TECHNIQUE. 

 For Physicians and Others Interested in the Microscope. 



Copyrighted. 



VIII. ABNORMAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE URINE— Continued. 



SEDIMENTS. 



The examination of the sediment in urine is now comparatively easy since 

 the centrifuge has come into common use. Fill both tubes of the centrifuge 

 with urine and revolve them in the instrument for three minutes at a speed of 

 1000 revolutions per minute. Decant the urine, and with a pipette transfer some 

 of the sediment to a clean slip. Lay in the drop of urine a hair and over all 

 apply a clean cover. Examine with a |-inch and later with a i-inch objective. 

 There are two kinds of sediments — -chemical and anatomical. 

 The chemical sediments exist in normal urine usually in solution. Abnor- 

 mally they may appear as amorphous or crystalline when precipitated, due to 

 changes in the urine or to abnormal quantity of them. 



Uric acid crystals appear as brightly colored, yellowish red 

 crystals, rhombic in form in general. They cluster together, 

 and in appearance resemble a pile of loose shingles, and as 

 they are always more or less colored cannot be mistaken for 

 anything else. If uric acid crystals are found in the urine 

 within four hours after it is voided it should be considered 

 Uric Acid Crystals, pathological. Such a condition indicates that it may precipi- 

 tate in the kidneys or bladder and give rise to calculi and gravel. Uric acid 

 crystals appear in the urine in high fevers and in the so-called uric acid diathesis. 



The urates of potassium, ammonium, and calcium are 

 met with in the sediment. They are usually amorphous 

 in form, with occasional minute star shaped or needle 

 shaped crystals in the sediment. The color of the mixed 

 deposit is usually slightly reddish in color and granular. ^"Sss. * 



These deposits are usually indicative of a febrile state ^cid Ammonium 

 and also occur in wasting diseases. Urate. 



^ ^ - Calcium oxalate crystals are characteristic, appearing 



^■'^■^^ ^ ^ like the backs of envelope with lines from the corners to 



yf7 ^^T f^^a ^^^ center. Occasionally they appear dumb-bell in shape. 



S IH "^ Oxyluria is indicative of some disturbance of the nervous 



^^* \^^ 3 S^ system which may be due to impairment of the blood, 



" ♦ imperfect respiration, etc. 



Calcium Oxalate. Phosphate crystals and the amorphous deposits of the 



combinations of phosphoric acid both occur in urine that is alkaline or at the 

 neutral point towards alkalinity. 



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