718 URINE. 



by means of the naphthalene sulphoehloride method to detect gtycoooll in normal 

 human urine, and this glycoeoll must occur in the urine in a combination which 

 is readily split by alkali. Although there have been numerous investigations, 

 no amino-acids besides glycoeoll could be detected in normal human urine, while, 

 on the contrary, in pathological conditions other amino-acids have been found 

 several times. The ammo-acid fraction of the urine seems to be increased in starva- 

 tion and in high altitudes (LOEWY ! ). The conclusions of various investigators 2 

 in regard to the behavior of amino-acids in diseases such as gout, disagree. For 

 the quantitative estimation of the amino-acids we can, according to HENRIQUES, S 

 make use to advantage of the method suggested by SORENSEN, mentioned on 

 page 162. 



Organic combinations containing phosphorus such as glycerophosphoric acid, phos- 

 phocarnic acid (ROCKWOOD), etc., which yield phosphoric acid on fusing with salt- 

 peter and caustic alkali, are also found in urine (LEPINE and EYMONNET, OERTEL). 

 With a total elimination of about 2.0 grams total P 2 O 5 , OERTEL found on an 

 average about 0.05 gram P 2 O 6 as phosphorus in organic combination. According 

 to SYMMERS 4 the organic combined phosphoric acid may in many pathological 

 conditions be 25-50 per cent of the total phosphoric acid. In lymphatic leucaemia, 

 and especially in degenerative diseases of the nervous system, the quantity may 

 increase. 



Enzymes of various kinds have been isolated from the urine. Among these 

 may be mentioned pepsin (BRUCKE and others), which, according to MATTHES, 

 undoubtedly originates from the stomach, and a diastatic enzyme (COHNHEIM and 

 others) and trypsin. 5 



Mucin. The nubecula consists, as shown by K. MORNER,' of a mucoid which 

 contains 12.74 per cent N and 2.3 per cent S. This mucoid, which apparently 

 originates in the urinary passages, may pass to a slight extent into solution in 

 the urine. In regard to the nature of the mucins and nucleoalburnins otherwise 

 occurring in the urine we refer the reader to the pathological constituents of the 

 urine. 



Ptomaines and leucomaines, or poisonous substances of an unknown kind, 

 which are often described as alkaloidal subtances, occur in normal urine, as shown 

 by earlier investigations (POUCHET, BOUCHARD, ADUCCO and others 7 ) and also 

 by recent researches of KUTSCHER, LOHMANN and ENGELAND. The trimethyl- 

 amine, which originates from the phosphatides, and first detected by DE FILIPPI 

 and later by K. BAUER belong to the leucomaines and also the bases found by 

 KUTSCHER and by KUTSCHER and LOHMANN, namely, methyl guanidine (also 

 found by ACHELIS), dimethylguanidine, novain (previously found by DOMBROWSKI), 

 reductonovain C 7 H 17 NO 2 , gynesin, C 19 H 23 N 3 O 3 (from female urine), mingin, 

 C 13 Hi 8 N 2 O 2 , vitiatin (Chapter XI) and methylpyridine chloride, which is not a 



ibid., 11, which also cites the rather conflicting deductions of Neuberg and Wolgemuth 

 and of Hirschstein. 



1 Deutsch. med. Wochenschr., 1905. 



2 See Jastrowitz, Arch. f. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 59; Walker Hall, Bioch. Journ., 

 1; Brugsch and Schittenhelm, Zeitschr. f. exp. Path. u. Therap., 4. 



3 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 60. 



4 Rockwood, Arch. f. (Anat. u.) Physiol., 1895; Oertel, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem. 

 26, which cites the other works. See also Keller, Zeitschr, f. physiol. Chem., 29; 

 Mandel and Oertel, N. Y. Univ. Bull. Med. Sciences, 1; and Maly's Jahresber., 31; 

 Symmers, Journ. of Path, and Bact., 10. 



5 In regard to the literature on enzymes in the urine, see Huppert-Neubauer, 599; 

 Matthes, Arch. f. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 49; Wilenko, Berl. klin. Wochenschr., 45. 



6 Skand. Arch. f. Physiol., 6. 



7 A complete bibliography on the ptomaines and leucomaines of the urine is found 

 in Huppert-Neubauer, 403. 



