CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE BLADDER -WALL. 631 



of sugar formed (50 per cent.) shows that they still contain a small 

 quantity of nitrogenous substance (" hyalin," Hoppe-Seyler). 



From Liicke's investigations, it appears that grape-sugar is also 

 a somewhat common constituent of the fluid contained in the 

 JZchinococcus-blsiddQY, and that it occurs constantly in those cases in 

 which the parasite lives in or near the liver. It is, however, highly 

 improbable that this sugar is a product of the chemical metamorphosis 

 of the JjJchinococcus-cuticlQ. It is much more probable that it originates 

 in the liver and its veins, especially as the absorptive capacity of 

 the -ZfcAmococc^s-bladder is very great, and as the investigations 

 of Barker and Queckett in a case of Echinococcus in the kidney have 

 proved the presence in the interior of the bladder of crystals also of 

 uric acid, oxalic acid, calcium triple phosphates, and other earthy con- 

 stituents of the urine. 1 In this way may be explained the presence 

 of cholesterin crystals, which are often found in enormous numbers in 

 the fluid of JBckinococd from the liver, as also the occurrence of 

 haematoidin crystals, which have frequently been observed in the latter, 

 and are always to be found in the multilocular EcTiinococci. A case 

 investigated by Davaine contained hydatids, only some of which 

 contained these crystals, but all of which were furnished with cal- 

 careous corpuscles of exactly the same deep red colour. 2 The pre- 

 sence of these blood constituents indicated an ecchymosis, which had 

 taken place some time previously, by a rupture of the vessels passing 

 through the wall of the cyst. 3 In Cysticercus pisiformis and C. 

 tenuicollis I have under the same circumstances occasionally seen 

 the whole fluid of the bladder of a blood-red colour, and so may it 

 have been in these EcTiinococci before the hsematoidin crystallised out. 4 



It has long been known that in its normal condition the fluid 

 within the Echinococcus is almost entirely devoid of albumen, and 

 therefore does not coagulate on boiling. This also corresponds with 

 its low specific gravity (1009 to 1015). But instead of albumen it has 

 abundance of leucin and ty rosin. Heintz has also proved that it con- 

 tains succinic acid, which is found in hardly any other living organism. 

 Lucke is indeed of opinion that the body in question does not quite 

 correspond to succinic acid ; but Naunyn has in the meantime con- 

 firmed Heintz's discovery, and has also found inosite in the fluid. 5 Half 

 of the 1'5 per cent, of inorganic substance consists of common salt. 



1 Barker, " On Cystic Entozoa in the Human Kidney," p. 9, London, 1856 (quoted 

 by Davaine). 



2 Mtm. soc. biol, p. 107, 1855. 



3 In this way is also explained the constant occurrence already mentioned of 

 haematoidin crystals in the ulcerating multilocular Echinococcus, 



* Davaine indeed reports a case in which Echinococci of a red colour were expectorated. 

 6 Mullens Archivf. Anat. u. Physiol, p. 921, 1863. 



