394 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



the use of rhubarb or senna, and the coloring matter of the blue- 

 berry, may pass into the urine. After taking rhubarb, senna or 

 santonin the urine takes a yellow or greenish-yellow color, which is 

 transformed into a beautiful red color by the addition of alkali. 

 Phenol produces, as above mentioned, a dark-brown or dark-green 

 color which depends mainly on the decomposition products of 

 hydrochinon or humin substances (v. UDRAJSTSZKY). After the use 

 of naphthalin the urine has a dark color, and several other medi- 

 cines produce a special coloration. Thus cairin gives often a yel- 

 lowish-green hue, or the urine darkens when exposed to the air; 

 thallin gives a greenish-brown color which is marked green in thin 

 layers, and antipyrin gives a yellow to blood-red. After the admin- 

 istration of balsam of copaiva the urine becomes, when strongly 

 acidified with hydrochloric acid, gradually rose and purple-red 

 (QuiNCKE). After the use of naphthalin or naphthol the urine 

 gives with concentrated sulphuric acid (1 c. c. concentrated acid 

 and a few drops of urine) a beautiful emerald-green color (PEN- 

 ZOLDT), which is probably due to naphthol-glycuronic acid. Odor- 

 iferous bodies also pass into the urine. After eating asparagus the 

 urine acquires a sickly disagreeable odor. After taking turpentine 

 the urine may have a peculiar odor similar to that of violets. 



VI. Pathological Constituents of Urine. 



Albumin. The appearance of slight traces of albumin in the 

 urine of apparently healthy persons has been observed in many 

 cases by several investigators (LEUBE, HOFMEISTER, POSTER, and 

 others), but still we must not conceal the fact that other investiga- 

 tors consider these traces of albumin as the first symptoms, though 

 very mild, of a diseased condition of the urinary apparatus, or as a 

 symptom of a transitory disturbance in the circulation. Frequently 

 traces are found in the urine of a substance similar to nucleoalbu- 

 min which can easily be mistaken for mucin and which is probably 

 identical with nucleoalbumin. This substance has been isolated 

 from the pupillary part of the kidneys and from the mucous mem- 

 brane of the bladder by LONNBERG. In diseased conditions albu- 

 min occurs in the urine in a variety of cases. The albuminous 

 bodies which most often occur are serum -globulin and serum- 



