SYNOVIAL FLUID. 343 



contents of vesicatory blisters. In a burn-blister K. MORNER 1 found 

 50.31 p. m. proteins, among which were 13.59 p. m. globulin and 0.11 

 p. m. fibrin. The fluid contains a substance which reduces copper oxide, 

 but no pyrocatechin. The fluid of the pemphigus is alkaline in reac- 

 tion. A wound secretion collected by LiEBLEiN 2 under aseptic condi- 

 tions was alkaline in reaction, and contained less protein than the blood- 

 serum. It formed a slight fibrin clot, and contained proteoses only at 

 first or at the beginning of the abscess formation. As the wound 

 healed, the relation between the globulin and albumin changed, and on 

 the third day of the healing the quantity of albumin was at least nine- 

 tenths of the total protein. 



The fluid of subcutaneous oedema. This is, as a rule, very poor in 

 solids, purely serous, does not contain fibrinogen, and has a specific 

 gravity of 1.005-1.013. The quantity of proteins is in most cases lower 

 than 10 p. in., according to HOFFMANN 1-8 p. m., and in serious affec- 

 tions of the kidneys, generally with amyloid degeneration, less than 1 

 p.m. has been shown (HOFFMANN 3 ) . The cedematous fluid also habitually 

 contains urea, 1-2 p. m., and sugar. 



The FLUID OF THE ECHiNOcoccus cyst is related to the transudates, and is poor 

 in proteins. It is thin and colorless, and has a specific gravity of 1.005-1.015. 

 The quantity of solids is 14-20 p. m. The chemical constituents are sugar (2.5 

 p. m.), inosite, traces of urea, creatine, succinic acid, and salts (8.3-9.7 p. m.). 

 Proteins are found only in traces, and then only after an inflammatory irritation. 

 In the last-mentioned case 7p.m. proteins have been found in the fluid. 



The Synovial Fluid and Fluid in Synovial Cavities around Joints, 

 etc. The synovia is hardly a transudate, but it is often discussed in an 

 appendix to the transudates. 



The synovia is an alkaline, sticky, fibrous, yellowish fluid which is 

 cloudy, from the presence of cell-nuclei and the remains of destroyed 

 cells, but is also sometimes clear. Besides proteins and salts, it also 

 contains a mucin substance, synoviamucin (v. HOLST 4 ) . In pathological 

 synovia HAMMARSTEN found a mucin-like substance which is not mucin. 

 It behaves like a nucleo albumin or a nucleoprotein, and gives no reducing 

 substance on boiling with acids. SALKOWSKI 5 also found a mucin-like 

 substance in a pathological synovial fluid, which was neither mucin nor 

 nucleoalbumin. He called the substance synovin. 



The composition of synovia is not constant, but is different in rest 

 and in motion. In the last-mentioned case the quantity of fluid is less, 



1 Skand. Arch. f. Physiol., 5. 



a Habilitationsschrift Prag, 1902, printed by H. Laupp, Tubingen. 



'Deutsch. Arch. f. klin. Med., 44. 



4 Zeitschr. f . physiol. Chem., 43. 



a Hammarsten, Maly's Jahresber., 12; Salkowski, Virchow's Arch., 131. 



