URINE. 119 



ters which I formerly separated from the urine were not precipi- 

 tated by the salts of iron, while, on the contrary, its perchloride 

 throws down a copious precipitate in a specimen of urine, which 

 I am now analysing. 



Berzelius states, that after urine has been neutralized by an 

 alkali, precipitates are induced by the salts of zinc, tin, and 

 mercury : I find that fresh urine, with a strong acid reaction, 

 becomes clouded or deposits a sediment upon the addition of 

 these salts. 



4. Mucus. Mucus in the urine is readily detected by the 

 microscope. We take up with a spoon a portion of the sepa- 

 rated nebulous matter, and on placing it on the object-glass we 

 can easily recognize the mucus-granules, and frequently a few 

 epithelium-scales. 



5. H&maphmn. It is this constituent which gives to healthy 

 urine its amber or brownish-yellow colour. The variations in 

 the tints of the urine are dependent upon the quantity of this 

 colouring matter. 



[Scharling 1 has recently examined the brown organic matter 

 which gives the colour to inspissated urine, and seems also to 

 be the source of its peculiar odour. By treating urine con- 

 centrated by the application of a freezing mixture, with ether, 

 and evaporating, he obtained a brown fusible resinous mass, 

 which he calls oxide of omichmyle, and supposes to contain a 

 radical, omichmyle, the composition of which is still unknown. 



It has a strong odour of castoreum, and when heated smells 

 like iirine. It dissolves in alcohol, forming a solution that 

 reddens litmus. It burns with a clear flame, leaving scarcely 

 any ash.] 



6. Uroerythrin. This red colouring matter exists only in 

 very small quantity in healthy urine, and cannot be easily de- 

 tected by tests. It is always associated with uric acid, and 

 seems to increase and decrease in the same proportion as that 

 constituent. It is precipitated with the uric acid and urate of 



1 Ann. der Chemie und Pharmacie, vol. 42, p. 265. 



