398 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



using ammonium sulphate with a urine rich in urates a precipitate 

 consisting of ammonium urate may separate. This precipitate does 

 not appear immediately, but only after a certain time, and it must 

 not be mistaken for the globulin precipitate. In detecing serum 

 albumin heat the filtrate from the globulin precipitate to boiling- 

 point or add about \<f> acetic acid to it at the ordinary temperature. 

 In detecting albumoses, whose occurrence in the urine was first 

 shown by BENCE JOI^ES and by KUHKE and later observed by 

 many investigators in different diseased conditions, first remove all 

 coagulable albumins, if any are present, by boiling with the addi- 

 tion of acetic acid. The filtrate is then tested by the biuret test, 

 and when this gives positive results apply the three above-men- 

 tioned albumose reagents (page 26), nitric acid, acetic acid, and 

 potassium ferrocyanide, and saturate with common salt with the 

 addition of acid. The album oses may also be precipitated by sat- 

 urating with ammonium sulphate in substance. 



Peptones, as shown by the experiments of several investigators, 

 among whom should be especially mentioned HOFMEISTEE, v. 

 JAKSCH, MAIXNEE, and FISCHEL, may appear in the urine as soon 

 as it occurs dissolved in the blood. This is especially the case in 

 an abundant destruction of the pus-cells with absorption of the 

 peptones originating therefrom, as also in pneumonia, in purulent 

 pleuritis, etc. (PYOGEKE PEPTONUEIA, HOFMEISTEE, MAIX^EE, v. 

 JAKSCH). Peptone also passes into the urine when the normal 

 absorption and assimilation of the peptones is disturbed so that 

 the peptones pass directly through the destroyed part of the intes- 

 tine into the blood, as in ulcerous processes in the intestine (EKTEE- 



OGENIC PEPTOKUEIA, MlXNEE), also in PUEEPEEAL PEPTOITUEIA 



(FISCHEL), in acute phosphorus-poisoning and certain diseases of the 

 liver (HEPATOGENIC PEPTONUEIA), in effusion of blood in difficult 

 cases of scurvy (H^EMATOGENIC PEPTOKUEIA, v. JAKSCH), etc. etc. 



These statements refer only to the peptone in the old sense, and 

 the question as to whether we are dealing with "secondary albu- 

 moses " or with " pure peptones" or a mixture of both is still un- 

 decided. Until we are agreed as to the importance of the peptones 

 and albumoses it is hardly possible to give positive statements in 

 regard to the occurrence of peptones in the urine, or to give ac- 

 curate methods for their detection and quantitative estimation. 



The urine to he tested for peptone in the old sense must be free from 

 mucin and from albumin so that it does not give either the potassium-ferro- 



