URINE. 333 



other hand, it assumed a blue tint ; dissolved in potash, boiled, 

 and treated with hydrochloric acid, it developed sulphuretted 

 hydrogen; it dissolved tolerably freely in acetic acid, from 

 which it was precipitated by ferrocyanide of potassium. These 

 reactions left no doubt of its being a protein-compound. The 

 portion of the film insoluble in potash consisted chiefly of phos- 

 phate of magnesia, [ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate ?] with 

 a little phosphate of lime. Hence Lehmann concludes that the 

 kystein of Nauche is not a new and distinct substance, but a 

 mixture of butyraceous fat, phosphate of magnesia, and a pro- 

 tein-compound very similar to casein. He likewise mentions 

 that, in examining the urine of a woman who was not suckling, 

 and was kept on very low and sparing diet, on the third, fourth, 

 sixth, and ninth days after delivery, he found a large quantity 

 of butyric acid taken up by ether from the solid residue ; and 

 on dissolving the ethereal extract in water, adding sulphuric 

 acid, and distilling, he obtained a further quantity. The urine 

 in this case was always rather turbid, of a dirty yellow colour, 

 very acid, and contained a very small amount of uric acid. 



Moller 1 relates two cases in which the urine of women who 

 were not pregnant was covered with a film exactly resembling 

 kystein : in one case there was considerable hypertrophy of the 

 uterus ; in the other, no affection of the generative organs could 

 be detected. The film of kystein consists, according to his 

 observations, of fat, earthy phosphates, and a caseous matter, 

 which differs, however, from the casein of milk in being held 

 in solution by a free acid. When the urine becomes neutral 

 or alkaline, the caseous matter ceases to be held in solution, 

 and separates as kystein. Everything checking the decomposi- 

 tion of the urine hinders the formation of the pellicle, and if the 

 recent secretion is treated with a free acid (mineral or organic) ; 

 no separation of kystein takes place even if ammonia be added 

 to saturation, or decomposition allowed to proceed to any 

 extent. 



In a case of decided pregnancy, no kystein was formed during 

 the period of a severe cold, attended with a copious deposition 

 of urates ; but when the urine became natural, the kystein re- 

 appeared. He twice detected cholesterin in kystein. 



1 Casper's Wochenschr. Jan. 11-18, 1845. 



