THE MICROSCOPE. 71 



with the double syringe, and the patient should drink a great deal 

 of water. If we have retention from stone in bladder, the calculus 

 should be removed. If from stricture of the urethra, the frequent 

 passing of sounds will relieve. In the examination of urine espe- 

 cially in these cases, great care must be exercised, the vessel, of 

 whatever sort, in which the urine is kept should be scrupulously 

 clean, and, again, it should be examined as soon as possible 

 after being passed, as the urine decomposes and becomes ammonia- 

 cal very rapidly, especially during a hot day, and when it contains 

 any organic matter, as pus, blood, albumen or epithelium. Without 

 these precautions the examination will be unsatisfactory. 



The phosphate of lime is usually noticed in urine when alkaline 

 from a fixed alkali. It is an amorphous floculent deposit, can be distin- 

 guised from epithelium and amorphous urates only by microscopical 

 examination and chemical tests. 



The phosphate of lime in crystalline form is sometimes found 

 in the urine when it is faintly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline. 

 The crystals, faithfully represented in fig. 4, consist of crystalline 

 rods or needles arranged singly or in groups forming beautiful stars, 

 sheaf-like bundles, fans, rosettes, etc. These crystals are often 

 found associated with oxalate of lime, uric acid, and rarely with the 

 triple phosphates. These crystals may be produced artificially by 

 uniting gradually in glycerine, solutions of the phosphate of sodium 

 and chloride of calcium, or, again, by adding some chloride of cal- 

 cium to normal urine and neutralizing the acidity with caustic soda. 



The phosphate of lime is not a common deposit in the urine, 

 but when it is found in quantity and persistent it then indicates 

 some grave disorder. The deposits have been noticed in persons 

 suffering from chronic rheumatism, phthisis, diabetis, cancer of the 

 stomach, etc. 



In normal urine, rendered alkaline by adding to it ammonia 

 hydrate, the earthy phosphates are deposited ; the magnesium and 

 phosphoric acid combining with the ammonia are deposited as am- 

 monio-magnesium phosphate, in beautiful pennate, stellate, or snow- 

 flake crystals illustrated in figs, i and 2. These crystals possess no 

 clinical importance and can only result from the addition of ammo- 

 nia accidentally or intentionally to the urine. 



