FATS. 253 



or indeed, as the essential character of Bright's disease. The 

 endeavour to explain such pathological processes by a perfect 

 metamorphosis of albuminous and fibrinous exudations into fat, 

 (that is to say, by a direct metamorphosis of the protein-compounds 

 into fat,) is purely chimerical and unsupported by the slightest 

 proof. 



It is further an undoubted fact that in many cells, whether 

 they be constituents of physiological tissues, or products of patho- 

 logical exudations, fat occurs accumulated in large quantities, 

 appearing under the form of vesicles, or more frequently of granules, 

 as in the hepatic cells, in the granular cells in old apoplectic 

 cysts, and in the analogous cells in the expectoration in confirmed 

 chronic catarrh ; but it is incorrect to suppose that all strongly 

 tinged, punctuated granular cells, contain much fat : we will, how- 

 ever, postpone all further consideration of this subject to the third 

 volume. 



We have no accurate observations regarding the quantity of fat 

 contained in the fasces in different diseases ; and I will here only 

 remark, that I have always found fat in the normal excrements, 

 but more especially in the stools in diarrhoea ; in most of the cases, 

 in which observations have been made regarding an excess of fat 

 in the fseces, we are unable to determine whether its increase be 

 owing to the food, or to fatty medicines. 



A firm margarin-like fat, has been frequently noticed as present 

 in the excrements of diabetic patients (Simon,* Heinrichf)? but I 

 have never observed any decided increase in the quantity of fat in 

 the feeces in diabetes ; and the discharge of fat by the intestines, 

 cannot therefore be regarded as a constant symptom. 



It is equally difficult to form a correct opinion of the quantity 

 of fat in the urine. No reliance is to be placed on the older obser- 

 vations, since the presence of fat in the urine was at that period 

 often diagnosed, whenever, in consequence of an alkaline reaction, 

 the urine was covered with a pellicle ; this was regarded as fat, 

 although consisting in reality of nothing more than earthy mat- 

 ters. Where the microscope shows fat-globules in the urine, they 

 frequently, in women, arise from the external genitals. It is only 

 in slow fevers that I have been able to confirm the old view, and 

 often, but not invariably, to detect fat-globules. In the urine of 

 pregnant women, which contains the so-called kyestein, If have, 



* Beitr. Bd. 1,8.408. 



t Haser's Arch. Bd. 6, S. 306. 



t Handworterb. der Physiol. Bd. 2. S. 9. 



