SECRETIONS AND EXCRETIONS. 



245 



Oliguria is that condition in which amounts 

 Oliguria, of urine below the average are passed.' 



Usually it is a very serious symptom ; how- 

 ever, it is occasionally seen in neurasthenics. 



The odor of urine is of slight significance. 

 Odor. The normal odor is described as like that 



of ''bouillon/' "oysters," or ''new hay." 

 Uriniferous, as applied to urine, describes its odor after 

 decomposition has taken place. Freshly voided urines 

 which are uriniferous are pathological. 



The specific gravity of the urine is deter- 

 Specific mined with an instrument called a urin- 

 Gravity. ometer. With the urinometer is supplied 



a cylindrical vessel which is to hold the 

 urine while the specific gravity is be- 

 ing taken. To determine the specific 

 gravity the cylinder is nearly filled 

 with urine, when the urinometer is 

 slowly introduced. The specific 

 gravity is read directly from the 

 scale at the upper end of the in- 

 strument where the surface of the 

 urine meets a division on the scale. ^ ^. , . 



Fig. 33. — Simple Urin- 

 A sample of the twenty-four hours' ometer and Accessories. 



output should be employed. ^^^ 



Normally the specific gravity varies between loio 

 and 1025; pathologically, between 1002 and 1060. 

 Urines containing albumin have their specific gravities 



