216 THE BODY AT WORK 



proteins and nuclein. Chemically, it is reasonable to attribute 

 to nuclein the parentage of uric acid ; a plausible line of descent 

 can be traced. The association of leucocythsemia with the 

 production of uric acid is probably due to the destruction of 

 leucocytes which are present in abnormal numbers (cf. p. 53). 



Such is the evidence at present in the hands of physiologists. 

 Naturally, physicians have endeavoured to turn it to account. 

 Patients have been recommended to avoid animal foods which 

 contain nucleo-proteins to take, instead of meat and fish, eggs, 

 milk, cheese, vegetable-albumins. Certain physicians contend 

 that such a diet is followed by the happiest results ; others, 

 equally competent, and perhaps less biassed by " medical 

 theory " the most dangerous of handicaps for anyone who 

 practises an art which must ever remain empirical are satisfied 

 that equally good results are obtained by excluding from the 

 diet eggs, milk, and cheese. Physiological discoveries suggest 

 treatment. Modern medicine is in the fullest sense applied 

 physiology. But treatment based upon theory must be con- 

 trolled by unprejudiced observation. It is possible that the 

 gouty diathesis may be held in check in certain cases by the 

 exclusion from the diet of certain kinds of nitrogenous food. 

 The experience of generations has taught us that the injudicious 

 use of such articles of diet as fruit, pastry, sugar, which do not 

 contain nitrogen, is the main factor in inducing an attack of 

 gout ; that imperfect digestion, sluggish circulation, insufficient 

 activity on the part of the kidneys, lead to the accumulation 

 in tissue-spaces of the fons et origo malorum. Even sweet- 

 bread, which with the precision of a chemical experiment 

 increases the production of uric acid by a healthy person, is 

 not necessarily found unwholesome by those who are inclined 

 to gout. It is amongst the most digestible of all meat foods, 

 and easy digestion covers a multitude of metabolic sins. 



