610 



OF SECRETION AND EXCRETION. 



to be passed off through them. On the contrary, it would seem as if, by pro- 

 ducing congestion and irritation, they sometimes interfered with the normal 

 process of secretion; so that the quantity of solid constituents is actually de- 

 creased, notwithstanding the large augmentation in the watery part of the urine. 

 This very important fact has been demonstrated by Prof. Krahmer, 1 who gives 

 the following as the result of his observations upon the amounts excreted in 24 

 hours, after the administration of diuretics to persons in health : 



Medicine given. 



None 



Juniper 



Venice Turpentine 



Squill . 



Digitalis 



Guaiacum 



Colchicum 



Solids 



2.40 oz. 



2.12 



1.94 



2.25 



2.45 



2.43 



2.32 



Organic 

 Compounds. 



1.28 OZ. 



0.94 

 1.11 



1.04 

 1.28 

 1.38 

 1.36 



Inorganic 

 Compounds. 



1.13 oz. 



1.18 



0.83 



1.21 



1.17 



1.05 



0.96 



Similar results have been obtained by Dr. Golding Bird, 2 who has shown that, 

 on the other hand, there is a class of remedies, which is capable of producing 

 the most marked increase in the amount of organic as well as of saline matters 

 eliminated by the Kidneys. These are the Alkalies and their carbonates, with 

 such of their salts as are formed by acids which are decomposed in the blood into 

 the carbonic, such as the acetates, tartrates, and citrates. It has been shown 

 (CHAP. ii. SECT. 1) that the alkalies and their carbonates have a powerful sol- 

 vent action on the albuminous compounds generally ; and that they tend to break 

 up these compounds into simpler forms of combination. Hence it seems likely 

 that their presence in the Blood in increased amount will tend to hasten the 

 retrograde metamorphosis of the tissues ; their chemical force being exerted, not 

 merely upon those which are already in a state of disintegration, but also upon 

 those, which, being disposed to degenerate, cannot exercise that resisting power 

 which they possess when in a state of complete vital activity ( 116). The 

 increase which their administration occasions in the solids of the Urine is strik- 

 ingly displayed in the following comparative table, given by Dr. G-. Bird, of the 

 entire constituents of the secretion passed during 24 hours, before and after the 

 administration of three drachms of acetate of potash : 



Quantity of Urine 

 Specific Gravity 

 Total Solids 



Uric Acid . 

 Urea .... 

 Other Organic Compounds 

 Soluble Salts . i- J > 

 Insoluble Salts . 



Before Medicine, 

 flgxvi 

 1.025 

 416 grs. 



2.6 grs. 



130.5 " 



189.3 " 



72.0 " 



21.6 " 



After Medicine, 

 fl^xlvi 

 1.017 

 782 grs. 



3.5 



202.4 



295.5 



248.4 



32.2 



The increase (176.4 grains) in the quantity of " soluble salts" is to be chiefly 

 set down to the account of the medicine taken in; but the whole remainder of 

 the augmentation seems fairly attributable to the increased metamorphosis. A 

 certain degree of such increase is producible by the simple ingestion of a large 

 amount of water ; so that this is by no means so inoperative as it might at first 

 sight appear, in cleansing and purifying (so to speak) the penetralia of the 

 system. It seems highly probable that the " critical evacuations" of urine, as 

 of sweat, or fecal matter, on which the older physicians were accustomed to lay 

 great stress, are really charged with noxious substances, of which the blood is 

 thus depurated ; and that great benefit would frequently arise in practice from 



1 "Heller's Archiv.," Dec., 1847. 



2 See his "Lectures on the Influence of Researches in Organic Chemistry on Thera- 

 peutics," in "Medical Gazette," 1848, vol. xlii. p. 230. 



