124 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



the specific gravity is usually lower than 1.015 and the quantity of 

 solids averages 20-30 p. m. 



The quantity of peritoneal fluid is very small under physiologi- 

 cal conditions. The investigations refer only to the fluid under 

 diseased conditions (dropsical or ascites fluid.) The color, trans- 

 parency, and consistency of these may vary greatly. 



In cachectic conditions the fluid is nearly colorless, milky-opal- 

 escent, watery, does not coagulate spontaneously, is of a very low 

 specific gravity, 1.005-1.015, and nearly free from form-constituents. 

 In carcinomatous peritonitis it may have a cloudy, dirty-gray appear- 

 ance due to its richness in form-elements of various kinds. The 

 specific gravity is then higher, the quantity of solids greater, and it 

 often coagulates spontaneously. In inflammatory processes it is 

 straw- or lemon-yellow in color, somewhat cloudy or reddish, due to 

 leucocytes and red blood-corpuscles, and from great richness in leu- 

 cocytes it may appear more like pus. It coagulates spontaneously, 

 may be relatively richer in solids, and may have a specific gravity 

 of 1.030 or more. By rupture of a chylous vessel the dropsical 

 fluid may be rich in very finely-emulsified fat (CHYLOUS ASCITES). 

 In such cases 3.86-10.30 p. m. fat has been found in the dropsical 

 fluid (GUINOCHET, HAY). By admixture of this fluid with the 

 fluid from an ovarian cyst it may sometimes contain pseudomucin 

 (see Chapter XI). We also have cases in which the ascitical fluid 

 contains mucoids which may be precipitated by alcohol after 

 removal of the albumins by coagulation at boiling temperature. 

 Such substances, which yield a reducible substance on boiling with 

 acids, have been found by the author in tuberculous peritonitis and 

 in cirrhosis hepatis syphilitica. 



In order to show the amount of albumin in ascitic fluids we 

 give below the results of RUNEBERG'S analyses. They are in parts 

 per 1000 parts of the fluid. 



Max. Mia. Average. 



Ascitic fluid in hydraemia 4.1 0.2 2.1 



" " portal obstruction 26.8 3.7 9.7 



" " heart disease .......23.0 8.4 16.7 



" " " carciuomatous peritonitis. 54.2 27.0 35.1 



Urea has also been found in ascitical fluids, sometimes only as traces, some- 

 times in larger quantities (4 p. m. in albuminuria), also uric acid, allantoin in 

 cirrhosis of the liver (MOSCATELLI), xanthin, creatin, cholesterin, and glucose. 



