Literary Notices. Ixi 



the term " functional," the author seeks an irritant which may ade- 

 quately explain these symptoms which are referred to the disturbance 

 of the grey matter of the cortex. 



Epilepsy may be artificially proJaceJ by injecting absinthe into 

 the blood, which proves that a toxicant may produce these symptoms. 

 Uric acid in the blood, even in very small quantities, may act as a 

 convulsant in sensitive cases. 



Dr. Haig has showed with apparent conclusiveness that tlie pres- 

 ence of excess of uric acid in the urine is proof of its existence in the 

 blood. The author gives experimental evidence that a nitrogenous or 

 meat diet favors and a vegetable diet retards the formation of uric 

 acid. 



The method used in determination is as follows: To 25 cc. of 

 urine is added one grm. sodic bicarb., then add 2-3 cc. ammonia to 

 precipitate ammonia-magnesic phosphates. Now add 1-2 cc. of a 

 solution of 5 grm. silver nitrate in 100 cc. water, to which enough am- 

 monia is added to clear the solution. This gives a gelatinous precipi- 

 tate which is filtered through asbestos and the precipitate dissolved in 

 30 per cent, of nitric acid. Add to the solution a few drops of satu- 

 rated solution of potash alum. Eight grms. ammonia sulphocyanate in 

 one litre of water, diluted before use with 9 vols, of water, are placed in 

 a burrette and allowed to drop into the solution. A whitish precipitate 

 is formed which becomes permanently red after sufficient sulphocy- 

 anate has been added. Multiply the number of cc, sulphocyanate 

 solution used by 0.00168, and the result is the uric acid in grammes. 

 To examine blood, add it to ten times its volume of boiling water, 

 boil for ten minutes and decant off the fluid and treat as above. 

 Uric acid exists in the human body and circulates in the form of quad- 

 riurates, these are converted by sodium compounds to biurates, which 

 are difficultly soluable, and are precipitated in the tissues in the form 

 of star-like crystals, capable of exciting irritation. The author thinks 

 this precipitation may go on in the brain or meninges, as well as in 

 the joints. 



It should be noticed that the change to a non-abumenous diet 

 may at first aggravate the symptoms, for, by increasing the alkalinity 

 of the blood, the deposited urates may be washed out and produce 

 their peculiar convulsive symptoms. If persisted in, however, the 

 amount of uric acid is lessened and great and lasting amelioration of 

 the symptoms results. The writer does not question the usefulness 

 of bromides or make a roseate prognosis in such cases. 



