URINE. 351 



The urine was turbid and alkaline, depositing a white sedi- 

 ment of minute globules, much smaller than those occurring 

 in the urine of the horse, and consisting, for the most part, of 

 phosphate of magnesia. The urine similarly obtained in the 

 month of June had a faint alkaline reaction, and, in the course 

 of six hours, crystals of ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate were 

 observed on the surface. Its specific gravity was 1050, and it 

 contained in 1000 parts : 



Water .... 912-86 



Solid constituents . . . 87*14 



Urea 8-54 



Hippuric acid 

 Alcohol-extract 

 Water-extract 

 Soluble salts 

 Insoluble salts 



microscopic crystals 



9-58 

 32-68 

 23-70 

 12-64 



The ash consisted of: 



Chloride of sodium with a little chloride of potassium 22-49 



Sulphate of soda . . . 29'97 



Carbonate of soda . . . 8-73 



Phosphate of soda . . . 4-39 



Phosphate of lime . . . 12-00 



Phosphate of magnesia . . . 22-42 



100-00 



The difference in the amount of earthy phosphates in these 

 analyses is easily accounted for when we consider the different 

 nature of the food in winter and summer. 



Von Bibra obtained a minute quantity of a substance closely 

 allied to humic acid in most of his analyses of the urine of the 

 herbivora.] 



The urine of birds, which is discharged from the cloaca as 

 a white pulpy mass and soon hardens when exposed to the air, 

 is remarkable for the large quantity of urate of ammonia which 

 it contains. The urine of birds of prey contains urea, and a 

 peculiar green colouring matter which is not found in the urine 

 of graminivorous birds. 



Vauquelin and Fourcroy found that, in the ostrich, the uric 

 acid amounted to one sixtieth of the weight of the urine ; there 

 were also present sulphates of potash and lime, chloride of 

 ammonium, an oily substance, a peculiar animal matter, and 

 probably acetic acid. The urine of the parrot is, according to 

 J. Davy, very similar to that of serpents. 



