426 URINE. 



fat, which latter I have never observed on the urine. In more 

 recent times Nauche* has regarded this membrane as a charac- 

 teristic sign of pregnancy, and has instituted a number of experi- 

 ments, which however only lead to a negative result. The kyestein 

 is nothing else than the formation of crystals of triple phosphate, 

 and fungoid and confervoid growths, which takes place when the 

 urine becomes alkaline, as has been described in p. 410; but 

 whether or not this membrane and the flocculent precipitate which 

 is subsequently formed from it be actually a characteristic symptom 

 of pregnancy, it cannot be denied that such a membrane, or, more 

 correctly, the rapid alkalinity of the urine, is more frequent in 

 pregnant women than in other cases ; the urine of pregnant women 

 is, as a general rule, very watery, and hence more readily undergoes 

 alkaline fermentation ; it further contains more mucous, protein- 

 like substances than other urine, and this is a second reason why 

 it more readily becomes alkaline and presents a tendency to the 

 formation of this membrane. Hence Nauche's view is not alto- 

 gether devoid of foundation ; but every one must have observed 

 that the urine of pregnant women, especially when they have been 

 living chiefly on animal food, very often does not possess this 

 property, and, on the other hand, that the limpid urine of hys- 

 terical and chlorotic women, as well as faintly acid and albuminous 

 urine, may present precisely the same phenomena that have been 

 regarded as peculiar to pregnancy. 



It is in chylous and milky urine that the largest quantity of fat 

 is found, where it occurs suspended in globules as in the chyle 

 and milk. Unfortunately, very little is known regarding the forms 

 of disease with which such urine is associated. 



The occurrence of fat in albuminous urine is a symptom of 

 more importance ; it has been already mentioned (in vol. i., p. 254) 

 that fat may be expected to be present in fatty degeneration of the 

 kidneys ; my own experiments on the urine in Bright's disease 

 have not as yet confirmed this expectation ; free fat-globules are, 

 however, sometimes found in the urine, but it is never easy to 

 decide whether they actually pertain to the urine, or, whether they 

 are mere foreign admixtures ; and the difficulty is increased by the 

 very small quantity in which they always occur. In the latter 

 stages of Bright's disease we sometimes, however, find individual 

 tubes which appear to be filled with small globules or granules of 

 fat, and present a striking resemblance to the tubuli contorti of fatty 



* Journ. de Chim. mdd. 2 Ser. T, 5, p. 64, 



