URINE. 211 



slight sediment of urate of ammonia and uric acid. In another 

 case (that of a woman aged 30), I likewise found it dark- 

 coloured, but it had a slightly alkaline reaction with a disa- 

 greeable ammoniacal odour. It deposited a dirty yellow sedi- 

 ment, which appeared to the naked eye to be purulent, but 

 which was shown by the microscope to consist of an immense 

 number of mucus-granules, of a few crystals of ammoniaco- 

 magnesian phosphate, and of an amorphous precipitate of phos- 

 phate of lime and urate of ammonia. The clear urine developed 

 some carbonic acid on the addition of nitric acid, and became 

 turbid, from which the presence of albumen was inferred. 



Meningitis. 



In the acute form of meningitis the urine assumes the in- 

 flammatory type. Schonlein describes it as being of a dark -red 

 colour, very like brown beer. The secretion is usually scanty, 

 (frequently only from eight to nine ounces in twenty-four hours,) 

 it has a strong acid reaction, and the specific gravity and con- 

 sequently the amount of solid residue is high. In four cases 

 of meningitis observed by Becquerel, the mean specific gravity 

 was 1025-2 ; sediments of uric acid sometimes occurred sponta- 

 neously, and were sometimes induced by the addition of nitric 

 acid. In two of the cases he observed albumen. Schonlein 

 observes that at the crisis towards recovery the urine is secreted 

 more abundantly, and sometimes deposits purulent sediments. 



Encephalitis. 



The urine in encephalitis appears to be much the same as in 

 meningitis. It sometimes deposits a sediment, and contains a 

 small quantity of albumen. Becquerel found the specific gra- 

 vity to be 1020-2. 



[Considerable attention has recently been paid to the urine 

 in the different forms of insanity. The most characteristic fea- 

 ture seems to be the excess of ammonia excreted as carbonate, 

 urate, hydrochlorate, or ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate. The 

 reader may consult Erlenmeyer, 1 Heinrich, 2 and Sutherland and 

 Bigby, 3 on this subject.] 



1 Observations physiolog.-patholog. in morotrophio Sigburgensi institut. deurina 

 maniacorum. 



2 Ueber die Wichtigkeit mikroskopischer und chemischer Untersuchungen fur die 

 Psychiatrik, mit besondrer Riicksiclit auf Harnsemiotik. (Haser's Archiv, vol. 7, 2.) 



3 Med. Gaz., June 1845. 



