474 



PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 



amination of such tissue fragments before coming to a final decision as 

 to their origin. 



Animal Parasites. The cysts, booklets, and membrane shreds 

 of echinococci are sometimes found in the urinary sediments. Other 

 animal organisms which are more rarely met with in the urine are em- 

 bryos of the Filaria sanguinis and eggs of the Distoma hematobium and 

 Ascarides. Animal parasites in general occur most frequently in the 

 urine in tropical countries. 



Micro-organisms. Bacteria as well as yeasts and moulds are fre- 

 quently detected in the urine. Both the pathogenic and non-patho- 

 genic forms of bacteria may occur. The non-pathogenic forms most 

 frequently observed are micrococcus urea, bacillus urea, and staphylo- 

 coccus urea liquefaciens. Of the pathogenic forms many have been 



FIG. 151. HUMAN SPERMATOZOA. 



observed, e.g., Bacterium Coli, typhoid bacillus, tubercle bacillus, gono- 

 coccus, bacillus pyocyaneus, and proteus vulgaris. Yeast and moulds 

 are most frequently met with in diabetic urine. 



Fibrin. Following hematuria, fibrin clots are occasionally ob- 

 served in the urinary sediment. They are generally of a semi-gelatin- 

 ous consistency and of a very light color, and when examined under 

 the microscope they are seen to be composed of bundles of highly re- 

 fractive fibers which run parallel. 



Foreign Substances Due to Contamination. Such foreign sub- 

 stances as fibers of silk, linen, or wool; starch granules, hair, fat, and 

 sputum, as well as muscle fibers, vegetable cells, and food particles, are 

 often found in the urine. Care should be taken that these foreign 

 substances are not mistaken for any of the true sedimentary con- 

 stituents already mentioned. 



