CONJUGATED GLUCURONIC ACIDS. 771 



be isolated and identified by their osazones. The occurrence of conjugated 

 glucuronic acid in the urine is shown when the urine does not give the 

 orcin-hydrochloric-acid reaction directly, but only after boiling with the 

 acid. The naphthoresorcin reaction, as suggested by TOLLENS/ can also 

 be used. To 5 cc. urine add 0.5 cc. of a 1-per cent alcoholic solution 

 of naphthoresorcin and 5 cc. hydrochloric acid (sp.gr. 1.19), boil for 

 one minute, allow to stand four minutes, cool and shake with ether. 

 In the presence of glucuronic acid the ether becomes violet or blue and 

 shows the absorption bands given on page 216. 



A further proof is that suggested by v. ALFTHAN; 2 500 cc. of the 

 urine is benzoylated and the ester obtained saponified with sodium 

 ethylate. The free and conjugated glucuronic acid is thus obtained as 

 sodium compounds, insoluble in alcohol, while the pentoses, if present, 

 remain in the alcoholic filtrate. We have no sufficient experience as to 

 the value of this method. 



The surest method is that suggested by MAYER and NEUBERG, which 

 consists in precipitating the urine with basic lead acetate, decomposing 

 the precipitate with H 2 S, boiling with dilute sulphuric acid in order to 

 split the conjugated acid, and then after neutralizing with soda prepar- 

 ing the characteristic bromphenylhydrazine compound of glucuronic acid 

 (see page 216) with p-bromphenylhydrazine hydrochloride and sodium 

 acetate. HERVIEUX 3 has slightly modified this method. 



Inosite seems to be a normal urinary constituent, although it occurs 

 only in very small quantities (HOPPE-SEYLER, STARKENSTEIN 4 ) . In 

 diabetes insipidus, as well as after excessive drinking of water, it occurs 

 in large quantities in the urine because of a more abundant washing- 

 out of the tissues. 



For the detection of inosite we make use of the method given on page 552, 

 with the modifications suggested by MEILLERE and STARKENSTEIN. 



Acetone Bodies (acetone, acetoacetic acid, /9-oxybutyric acid). These 

 bodies, whose occurrence in the urine and formation in the organism have- 

 been the subject of numerous investigations, occur in the urine especially 

 in diabetes mellitus, but also in many other diseases. 5 According to v. 

 JAKSCH and others, acetone is a normal urinary constituent, though it 

 may occur only in very small amounts (0.01 gram in twenty-four hours). 



1 Ber. d. d. chem. Gesellsch., 41, 1788, and C. Tollens, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 

 56. See also Mandel and Neuberg, Bioch. Zeitschr., 13. 



2 Arch. f. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 47. 



3 Mayer and Neuberg, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 29; Hervieux, Compt. rend. soc. 

 biol., 63. 



4 Starkenstein, Zeitschr. f. exp. Path. u. Therap., 5, which contains the literature. 



5 In regard to the extensive literature on acetone bodies the reader is referred to 

 Huppert-Neubauer, Harn-Analyse, 10. Aufl., and v. Noorden's Lehrb. d. Pathol. des 



