338 



ANATOMY FOR NURSES IChap. XVII 



are (1) an increase in the slightly soluble constituents of the urine, 

 (2) a decrease in the amount of water secreted, and (3) abnor- 

 mally acid or abnormally alkaline urine. 



Pus. — In suppurative conditions of any of the urinary organs 

 pus cells are present in the urine. 



Blood. — In cases of acute inflammation of any of the urinary 

 organs, of tuberculosis, of cancer, and of renal stone, red blood 

 corpuscles may be found in the urine. If present in large numbers, 

 they make the urine look like blood, and this condition is known 

 as hematuria. 



Toxicity of urine. — As urine is the medium by which the body 

 gets rid of toxic material, it follows that urine itself is toxic, and 

 must be eliminated, else a condition of toxemia will result. This 

 condition is called uremia, because it was thought that the symp- 

 toms of poisoning were due to the retention of urea in the body. 

 It is now believed that while urea is poisonous, it is only one of 

 several substances that renders urine toxic. During illness the 

 kidneys always try to eliminate any poisonous substances that find 

 their way into the blood, whether these substances are derived 

 from defective metabolism or from bacterial activity. This ac- 

 counts for the fact that after a severe illness the kidneys are often 

 left in a damaged condition. 



Waste Prod- 

 ucts or 

 Excreta 



Excretory 

 Organs 



SUMMARY 



Urea. 



Uric acid. 



Creatinin. 



Hippuric acid. 



Carbon dioxide. 



Other organic substances. 



Inorganic salts. 



Water. 



Urinary 

 system 



Assist in 

 excretion 



Kidneys (2) — secrete urine. 



Ureters (2) — ducts which convey urine from 



kidneys to bladder. 

 Bladder (1) — reservoir for urine. 

 Urethra (1) — tube through which urine is 



voided. 

 Lungs. 

 Skin. 

 Liver. 

 Intestines. 



