334 THE SECRETIONS : 



Kleybolte 1 has examined the urine in ten cases of pregnancy, 

 and invariably found kystein on the fifth day. The morning 

 secretion was used, and, after being slightly covered to protect 

 it from dust, was allowed to stand, at an ordinary temperature, 

 for ten days. The following appearances were observed in the 

 tenth week of pregnancy : urine peculiarly yellow, with a green- 

 ish tint. 2d day, mucous sediment ; 3d day, no change ; 4th 

 day, turbidity ascending from the bottom; 5th day, white 

 points and leaflets on the surface, turbidity ascending from all 

 parts of the bottom, and the sediment almost gone ; 6th day, 

 kystein distinctly observed on the surface, like lumps of fat 011 

 the surface of cold broth ; 7th day, no change. From the 8th 

 to the 10th day, the kystein disappears, the turbidity again de- 

 scends, and the sediment noticed on the 2d day is reproduced. 

 The nine remaining cases are in most respects similar to the 

 above. 



A few observations on kystein have been recently published 

 by Audouard, 2 but contain nothing of importance, except that 

 in six specimens of urine passed by young women suffering 

 from amenorrhoea, he found kystein in five. 3 ] 



I shall now give a short abstract of Becquerel's researches. 

 During pregnancy, the general state of the system is liable to 

 great variations, and the urine presents differences of corre- 

 sponding importance. If good health is enjoyed during preg- 

 nancy, the urine remains normal ; if, however, anything should 

 happen to excite the vascular system, it readily changes, be- 

 coming dark-coloured, acid, sedimentary, and diminished in 

 quantity. During the latter stages of pregnancy the urine 

 often assumes the anaemic type, that is to say, it becomes pale, 

 contains only a small amount of solid residue, and the spe- 

 cific gravity does not exceed 1011. The observations which 

 were communicated by Donne in a letter addressed to the 

 Academy of Sciences, dated May 24, 1841, in reference to the 

 urine in pregnancy containing less free acid, and less of the 

 phosphate and sulphate of lime than normal urine, were not 



1 Casper's Wochenschriffc, April 26, 1845. 2 Journal de Chimie Med. May 1845. 



3 Many other communications have recently been published on this subject, which 

 I do not deem necessary to notice, as they are, for the most part, simply confirmatory 

 of the above observations. 



