ITS NATUftE. 7 



In this respect it will be seen that the composition 

 of urine will vary in the same way as that of the dung 

 does. In the case of the urine, however, there is a 

 compensating influence to be taken into account. 

 Urine is a waste product, and there is more waste in 

 a young than in an adult animal. 



Another very important condition which determines 

 the composition of urine, is the nature of the food, 

 especially the quantity of water drunk. This, of 

 course, is obvious ; the more water drunk, the poorer 

 must the composition of the urine be. But here again, 

 as in the case of the dung, this is largely compensated 

 for by the total quantity voided the more dilute the 

 urine, the larger will its quantity be; so that the 

 inferior quality is in this way made up for by its 

 increased quantity. 



Keeping in mind, then, the fact we have just stated 

 viz., that the composition of urine will vary accord- 

 ing to different conditions we may obtain an ap- 

 proximate idea of what its composition is from the 

 following results of analyses by Stoeckhardt. In 

 1000 parts the following quantities of 'water, nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid, and alkalies were found to be present. 



From the following table it will be seen that the urine 

 of swine (containing 97 per cent of water) is much 

 poorer in nitrogen and alkalies than .is the case with 

 the urine of the sheep, horse, or cow. While this is 

 the case, the amount of phosphoric acid it contains is 

 greater than that contained in the sheep's urine. 



