VEGETABLES. 435 



sodium biurate in the tissues appears to be the exciting 

 cause of gout. Dr. Luff has shown that the action of sodium 

 biurate is mechanical, and is in no way poisonous. Also, he 

 proves, that the mineral constituents of green vegetables 

 (especially spinach, Brussels sprouts, winter cabbage, French 

 beans, Savoy cabbage, turnip tops, turnips, lettuce, beetroot, 

 and celery) and fruit taken as food, delay the conversion of 

 the harmless quadriurate into the hurtful biurate, and that 

 they increase the solubility of the latter. Green peas appear 

 to have no good effect in this respect. Dr. Luff points out 

 that the presence of oxalate of lime in tomatoes, rhubarb, and 

 asparagus is apt to be irritating to the kidneys of gouty 

 subjects, during its excretion in the crystalline form. He 

 proved by experiment that an artificially prepared ash of 

 the same composition as the natural ash of any of these 

 green vegetables, has no good influence in the elimination of 

 sodium biurate, and that the same may be said of salts of 

 lithium, and salicylates. The mineral matter of meat diminishes 

 the solubility of sodium biurate, and in this respect is injurious 

 to gouty persons. 



Scientific research has thrown but little light on the nature 

 of the poison or poisons which, as we all know, are generated 

 in the system by an excess of nitrogenous food, of which 

 meat is the chief representative, and by fatigue. The poison 

 or poisons in question are in all probability some waste nitro- 

 genous product or products, none of which is uric acid. 

 Experience, however, tells us that the consumption of green 

 vegetables and fruit facilitates their elimination in a manner 

 as effective as it is in the case of uric acid. Dr. Luff wisely 

 draws attention to the fact that individual idiosyncrasy should 

 be carefully studied with regard to the consumption of vege- 

 tables, some of which produce indigestion in certain persons. 



To make up for the loss of substance caused by the 

 oxidation of the tissues and by escape of water, the body 



28* 



