URINE. 283 



During the period of desquamation the urine is either normal 

 or anaemic. Becquerel states that although the urine during 

 desquamation after variola resembles, in its chemical constitu- 

 tion, the urine during desquamation after varicella, it differs in 

 respect to colour, the former being of a greenish, the latter of 

 a yellowish tint. According to Schonlein, in the first stage of 

 variola it is of a reddish brown tint ; on the third or fourth 

 day a sweat of a peculiar and strong odour is observed, and the 

 urine contains a turbid, apparently purulent, mucous sediment, 

 of an unpleasant odour. 



During the period of suppuration sediments, and frequently 

 purulent mucus, are thrown down. 



In the nervous form of variola the urine is even more 

 changeable, being sometimes spastic, and sometimes dark. In 

 the putrid form the urine appears decomposed, ammomacal, and 

 not unfrequently of a dark red colour from the presence of 

 haematin. 



Scrqfulosis. 



The urine of children with the scrofulous diathesis differs 

 considerably in the majority of cases from the normal secretion. 

 It is usually pale, but if there is much vascular excitement 

 it becomes more or less deeply coloured ; its specific gravity is 

 lower than in a state of health, and in many cases it is much 

 more acid than the urine of children is generally observed to 

 be; it has, however, been found neutral. 1 I have found the 

 urine of rickety children only slightly acid, and once, after it 

 had been passed some hours, it had an alkaline reaction. There 

 are differences of opinion with regard to the nature of the free 

 acid ; some state that it is phosphoric acid, others hydrochloric 

 acid, while others, again, are of opinion that it is lactic acid. 

 The urea and uric acid are frequently found to exist in a di- 

 minished proportion ; on the other hand, the salts, especially 

 the phosphates, are increased ; moreover, we not unfrequently 

 find in the urine of scrofulous children an acid which is foreign 

 to the normal organism, viz. oxalic acid. 



According to Schonlein, the principal chemical changes in 

 the urine of scrofulous persons consist in the diminution of the 



1 Stark Allg. Patholog. p. 1147. 



