510 APPENDIX. 



constituents are diminished, and that the diminution is dependent 

 alone on the decrease of the albumen, which, for the most part, 

 is found in the urine, but to a less degree also in the dropsical 

 effusions. The appearance of the blood is normal, and in its 

 coagulation it presents no peculiarity. The serum is pale, of 

 low specific gravity (as may be shown by the common urino- 

 meter), and contains no bile-pigment. 



The fibrin and blood-corpuscles occur in the ordinary quan- 

 tity. The solid residue of the serum is much diminished in 

 consequence of the great decrease of the albumen. Urea is 

 abundant in the blood ; in the first analysis it amounted to 

 1'85 in 1000 parts : reckoning the whole amount of blood in 

 the body at thirty pounds, this would contain about an ounce 

 of urea. The presence of urea in the blood must not, how- 

 ever, be regarded as peculiar to Bright' s disease, since it has 

 been found in a large quantity in cholera, ischuria, and other 

 diseases associated with suppression of urine. 



The fixed salts present no remarkable deviation from the 

 normal standard, but are usually slightly below the healthy 

 average. 



PAGE 338. Menstrual fluid. Since the publication of the 

 first volume, an analysis of this secretion has been made by 

 Dr. Letheby. 1 The menses were retained by an imperf orate 

 hymen, which, when cut into, permitted the escape of about 

 forty ounces of a thick and almost black fluid, having the ap- 

 pearance of treacle. When examined under the microscope, 

 with a power of 300, it was found to be quite free from fibrin, 

 but numerous corpuscles were observed floating in it. The 

 greater number of them were altered blood-corpuscles, but there 

 were also noticed the exudation or inflammatory globules (of 

 Gerber and Gluge), lymph-corpuscles', mucus-corpuscles, epithe- 

 lium-scales, and minute granules resembling mere dots. 



The fluid had an alkaline reaction, and was perfectly miscible 

 with water ; when heated a little below 212, it formed a firm 

 coagulum. 



It was analysed in accordance with Simon's directions, and 

 was found to contain : 



1 Lancet, Aug. 2, 1845. 



