442 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



Dr P li I NG LE, in his excellent book on 

 the Difeafes of the Army ^, gives a dia- 

 gnoflic fign of this diftemper, as commu- 

 nicated to him by my father, the late Dr 

 John Clerk, and which had not before 

 been obferved by authors; viz. white 

 ropy filaments floating in the urine, 

 which, when taken out of it, are pellucid^ 

 and, when dried, turn to a kind of 



calx. 

 As a flrangury, or, atleafl, a difficulty in 



making of water, was a leading fymptom, 

 noL only in the firft four cafes which I 

 have related, but alfo in others of which I 

 negleded to take notes at the time when 

 I attended the patients, I think it may be 

 prefumed, that this fymptom may like- 

 wife be looked upon as a diagnoftic fign 

 of this diflemper. Indeed, fo far as I 

 have obferved, it is a mark of the difeafe, 

 only when it is feated in the ftomach or 

 guts. No doubt, the difeafe may fom-e- 

 times be lodged about the bladder or 

 urethra, without affedling any other of 



the 



*Part 3. c. 2. § on the rheumatifm. 



