ALBUMIN IN THE 



to a 200 c.c. sample of urine. A precipitate forms which carries down the 

 coloring matter. Filter. Add acid alcohol to the precipitate to extract the 

 coloring matter, refJter, which gives a deep yellow solution. Shake up with 

 a few cubic centimeters of chloroform which dissolves the pigment. Draw 

 off the chloroform solution and allow to evaporate. The residue is a brown- 

 ish mass of urobilin. 



ABNORMAL CONSTITUENTS OF URINE. 



Many abnormal constituents may appear in the urine under pathological 

 conditions, only two of which will be mentioned here. 



1 6. Albumin in the Urine. The detection of the presence of albu- 

 min, albuminuria, is of considerable clinical importance. The following 

 are the standard tests which present no special difficulty except when traces 

 only are present. 



Heat Coagulation. To a half test tube of urine add a drop of dilute 

 acetic acid and boil. A white coagulum indicates the presence of albumin. 

 A faint cloudy appearance indicates traces. 



Nitric Acid Test. To 5 c.c. of strong nitric acid in a conical test tube 

 add 10 or 15 c.c. of urine, pouring it gently down the inclined side of the glass. 

 Allow the glass to stand for a few minutes, when a white coagulum appears 

 just above the line of contact of the acid with the urine. This test, known 

 as Heller's test, will usually indicate the presence of traces of albumin. 



Picric Acid Test. Add picric acid to a sample of urine. A whitish 

 precipitate of albumin will appear at the line of contact, as in the preceding test. 



Citric acid two parts and picric acid one part, when boiled with urine 

 will coagulate minute traces of the proteid. 



17. Detection of Sugar in the Urine. Trommers Test. The 

 presence of sugar in the urine can usually be detected by Trommer's test, 

 which depends upon the reduction of copper sulphate in the presence of 

 strong alkali. Boil fresh Fehling's solution and add to it a few cubic centi-^ 

 meters of urine. When sugar is present a reddish-yellow precipitate of copper 

 oxide comes out. The test should be set away for a few minutes when, if 

 only traces of the reduction are present, a reddish-brown stain will appear 

 on the bottom of the test tube. Uric acid, if present in excess, may produce 

 a slight precipitation of the copper. 



Fermentation Test. If sugars are present in the urine, they can be de- 

 tected by adding yeast to a fermentation tube filled with urine, the liberation 

 of carbon dioxide indicating the presence of sugar. Cane sugar does not 

 support the growth of yeast, so it forms an exception by this test. 



Phenyl-Hydrazin Crystals. Phenyl-hydrazin forms crystals of phenyl- 

 glucosazone. To 10 c.c. of urine in a small beaker add o.i of a gram of 

 phenyl-hydrazin hydrochloride and a double quantity of sodium acetate. 



