846 HAROLD BAILEY 



per cent, mono-ammo acid nitrogen of 4.1 per cent and undetermined nitro- 

 gen of 4.0 per cent. The purin nitrogen was 3.2 per cent. If these last 

 fractions are added they will account for more than 11 per cent of the total 

 nitrogen. After the administration of a cathartic to one of the normal 

 pregnancy cases, the ammonia figure, while remaining the same in absolute 

 amount, was raised to 17 per cent, owing to the reduction in the total 

 nitrogen excreted. 



In studying case No. 6, Table III, who was preeclamptic, the urine was 

 obtained for three days and then as labor occurred true eclampsia with con- 

 vulsions developed. Specimens were obtained just before the spasms, dur- 

 ing the attack and for the entire 24 hour period. There was no deviation 

 from the normal in any of the nitrogen fractions until the second 24 hour 

 period, when the ammonia became high, in both absolute and relative 

 amounts and remained so. It was noted, however, that there was an 

 absence of acetone and diacetic acid. Case No. 7, Table IV, had a total 

 of seven convulsions and the ammonia was high for the first 48 hours 

 but the amino-acids were normal. Case No. 8 had between 40 and 50 

 convulsions but the ammonia and amino-acids were not increased. 



These authors, having been impressed by the high ammonia figures 

 in a fatal case of pernicious vomiting, who had apparently in the latter 

 part of an illness lasting a month, developed a terminal infection of the 

 kidneys, arrived at the conclusion that some of the high figures for this 

 fraction were caused by a foul bladder. As Folin remarked in an- 

 other connection, the formation of ammonia in the large intestine; 

 "Nothing is more simple than the growth of Bacillus coli communis in 

 an albuminous media in the absence of carbohydrates." These conditions 

 may be present in the bladder and lead thus to the breaking-up of protein. 

 In two cases of normal pregnancy with infected bladders and high am- 

 monia fractions, a decided reduction in the ammonia followed the wash- 

 ing of the bladder with boric acid, the diet and the total nitrogen in the 

 urine remaining the same. The reduction in one instance was from 2.27 

 gms. with the total nitrogen of 14.71 gms. to 1.33 gms. with the total 

 of 14.08 gms. 



Losee and Van Slyke present the most interesting figures in cases 

 of pernicious vomiting. There is a very low urea and high ammonia and 

 undetermined nitrogen fraction and so far the results are quite in accord 

 with Ewing's and Williams' figures. The authors mention that these 

 amounts suggest those obtained by Nencki and Pawlow in a dog whose 

 liver had been removed. However, the amino-acid nitrogen is normal 

 and the carbon dioxid combining power of the blood plasma in two in- 

 stances is 62 and 52, showing no acidosis, and 41 in the last case, repre- 

 senting a slight acidosis. 



For comparison with these figures there is the recent report of Stadie 

 and Van Slyke of the urine and blood findings of a woman who was not 



