404 PHYSIOLOGY CHAP. 



(l-arabinose) from a pentosuric urine. In the very rare cases so 

 far described, there is a benign anomaly of metabolism which may 

 be easily confused with diabetes, if the special methods for 

 detecting pentose are not applied to the analysis of the urine. 



IX. The urine of normal individuals yields in the great 

 majority of cases no trace of protein. This fact is beyond con- 

 troversy, as all the most reliable authorities agree on it. There is, 

 however, no ground for assuming that albuminuria is in every 

 case a pathological phenomenon. Under special conditions even 

 perfectly healthy individuals exhibit a transitory albuminuria 

 which, even if accidental or abnormal, cannot be regarded as 

 morbid. 



We saw in Chapter V. p. 287, that a transitory albuminuria 

 makes its appearance after the consumption of a large amount of 

 egg -albumin. Landois stated that he had seen albuminuria 

 in a man 4-10 hours after the ingestion of the raw, salted 

 whites of 14-20 eggs. The albumin content of the urine increased 

 progressively to the end of the third day, after which it began to 

 decrease, and disappeared altogether by the fifth day. The same 

 phenomenon occurs on the direct injection of ovalbumin into the 

 circulation (Stokes, Lehmann, Verdelli, and Gabbi). 



Some admit a slight transitory albuminuria, independent of 

 any renal lesion or excessive consumption of egg-albumin, when- 

 ever the amount of protein in the blood plasma is abnormal, 

 either from excessive protein alimentation, or from reabsorption 

 when the lacteal function is suspended (v. Bamberger, Posner, 

 Hawkins). This form of transitory albuminuria is termed 

 haematogenous. 



After excessive muscular work, again, a slight albuminuria 

 described as physiological or functional, can be detected (Leube, 

 Dukes, Fiirbringer, G. Marcacci). 



Leube investigated the urine of 119 soldiers, both in the 

 morning before they were drilled, and in the evening after com- 

 plicated and fatiguing marches. The morning urine of five 

 individuals yielded albumin, i.e. in 4*2 per cent ; in the evening 

 it was present in 19 individuals, i.e. in 16 per cent. In no 

 instance did the amount of albumin exceed 01 per cent. 



Capitan's researches on soldiers of 21-25, as well as on children 

 from 1 to 8 years of age, confirmed the fact that physiological 

 albuminuria is a very common phenomenon. Not unlike this is 

 the albuminuria that has been observed after the convulsive 

 spasms excited by strychnine, or in man after epileptic attacks 

 (Huppert). 



Transitory albuminuria may occur also in consequence of a 

 rapid rise in blood pressure in the vascular district of the kidneys, 

 e.g. after cold baths (Lassar, Johnson, Hawkins). Johnson's cases 

 were young, healthy students, who after 15 minutes to 1 hour's 



