Remnrlis on Urine, 45 



Its colour will become of a safFron-vellow ; if the bile is cor- 

 rupted it will become green, and black if there be any mix- 

 ture of blood in the urine, as, for instance, in putrid fevers. 



Thus it is from the appearance of the urine we are enabled 

 to judge of the nature of the forces of the body, and of the 

 different combinations of its constituent parts ; and on that 

 account we have recourse to tluit fluid for the purpose of de- 

 termming the state of the forces and humours of a patient. 



1. Let us judge if these forces are active o.r not. We 

 cdWforces those qualities of the body by which it performs its 

 functions in the order and manner that are convenient. 

 These forces may be more or less active. If we wish to give 

 action to a force which is rather inert, we excite it by irrita- 

 tion. For example, when we feel a tickling in the soles of 

 the feet, the toes and the foot immediately contract : since 

 the skin or the fibres have this power of contracting them- 

 selves by the influence of irritation, it thence results, that 

 the veins, which every where traverse the body, shrink, and 

 consequently can only conduct a smaller quantity of the 

 ])lood — merely the aqueous particles; and if a similar con- 

 traction takes place in the region of the kidneys, they will 

 receive only the aqueous parts of the blood, and will secrete 

 a clear urine like water. This is what takes place in fevers 

 when shivering fits are experienced. But this quality of 

 urine, which in this case announces an augmentation of 

 forces, may, under other circumstances, announce a weak- 

 ness and relaxation of the body, particularly in the kidneys, 

 which then make their secretions less perfectly. Such urine 

 may indicate great danger, and even death. If it comes 

 from persons attacked by inflammatory fevers, it announces 

 that the blood is so thick, viscous, or near being coagulated, 

 that drinks cannot mix with it, and aie voided almost with- 

 out alteration. I mean to state hereafter the consequences 

 which residt from this difference in prognostics by means 

 of urine. 



2. The urine makes us acquainted with the nature of the 

 constituent parts of the body, and of their relative quantities. 

 It enables us to judge also if those parts be strongly united 

 toirether, or if they are very soluble, and tend to corruption. 



In 



