174 CLINICAL DIAGXOSTICS. 



acid reaction; POJI.Xa and PO^H.Ca; thesa come from 

 the animal diet. Starving herbivora (hence such as Hve on 

 their own flesh) have an acid urine. 



Except in cases like the one just mentioned an acid reac- 

 tion of the urine of herbivora is always abnormal. It occurs 

 when the contents of the small intestine have an acid reaction 

 — intestinal catarrh. When the contents of the^ small intes- 

 tine have a normal (alkaline) reaction the acid phosphates 

 in the food are not absorbed, and consequently do not enter 

 the circulation, but when the reaction is acid the opposite 

 takes place, the acid phosphates are absorbed and excreted 

 by the kidneys, but the organic acid salts are not absorbed. 

 An acid reaction, therefore, depends on the presence of acid 

 phosphates and, in case of herbivora with good appetite, 

 points to the existence of intestinal catarrh. 



Abnormal alkaline reaction of the urine of 

 herbivora and carnivora occurs in the course of fermenta- 

 tions in the bladder (catarrh) and is produced by ammonia, 

 which is a product of fermented urea: CO(XH.')o + 

 2H,0 = CO3 (NHJo = 2NH3 + CO, + H,0. 

 This ammoniacal fermentation can be recognized by its od ^r. 

 A glass rod dipped in hydrochloric acid and held ai:ove 

 the surface of the urine causes fumes to appear : NH^Cl 

 = ammonium chloride. 



b. Albumin. Serumalbumin associated with serum- 

 globulin is the usual form in which albumen occurs in urine. 

 Albumoses, i. e., albuminous bodies not precipitated by boil- 

 ing, may be found alone or in connection with the above, but 

 are of rarer occurrence. (Pepton, propepton, hemialbumose). 

 Occasionally hemoglobin and methemoglobin are found. 



These three groups are alone of practical importance. 



I. Albuminuria. Albumin never appears in normal 

 urine in appreciable quantity ; its presence must therefore 

 always be looked upon as an indication of disease. 



As a rule the albumin is secreted with the urine, in the 



