

inquiry :— 
Urine whose aci- 
dity was exactly 
neutralised by viiis 
minims of liquor 
potasse to the 
fluid-ounce. 
OTHER NEW EXPERIMENTS 
Treatment. 
I. One fluid-ounce of the 
/acid urine was boiled in a 
retort with a capillary neck 
for 5’ over the flame pretty 
briskly, but without spurting- 
away of fluid. 
2. One fluid-ounce of same 
boiled gently over flame 2’, 
and in can of water, after 
sealing, for 18’. 
3. One fluid-ounce of same 
171 
three of the vessels which escaped were, however, 
sufficiently significant to show the importance of the 
Result. 
1. Fluid found to have 
been diminished by diij. 
Acidity of remainder neu- 
tralised by v4 minims of 
liquor potasse. 
2, Fluid diminished by 54. 
Acidity of remainder neutra- 
lised by vj minims of liquor 
potasse. 
3. Fluid diminished by 54 
boiled gently over flame 2’, 
and in can of water, after 
sealing, for 8’. Then placed 
in incubator at 122° F. for 
6 days. 
Acidity of remainder neutra- 
lised by iv minims of liquor 
potassee. 



‘These estimations, confirmed as they have been 
by others, soon let in a flood of light. The great 
diminution of acidity caused by brisk boiling in an 
open vessel with a capillary orifice was remarkable, 
and is doubtless principally attributable to the fact 
that under these conditions the temperature of the 
fluid is easily raised three or four degrees of the 
Centigrade scale above the boiling-point'; the loss 
of acidity involved in the diminution of the fluid itself 
by the mere process of boiling,but without appreciable 
spurting, was probably small. - But when both 
these conditions are obviated as much as possible 
by gentle boiling over the flame for two minutes 
only, and by continuing the exposure to heat, after 
the vessel has been sealed, in a can of boiling water at 
a definite temperature of 212° F., the total period of 
heating may be four times as long without causing 
1 See, on this subject, p, 112. 
