PART III.] Nature and Microscopic Character of Chylous Urine. 521 



have not tended to show that there is any organic or inorganic substance in the 

 secretion, but what already exists in the nutritive fluids of the body, or that any 

 new chemical combination has been called into existence. With regard to the 

 alleged presence of sugar in this kind of urine, my attempts to detect it have been 

 entirely negative. 



In short, the urine appears merely to deviate from the healthy standard in so 

 far that it contains an abnormal amount of fatty and fibro-albuminous material, 

 with, perhaps, a diminution in the percentage of urea ; in connection with this, 

 however, I may add that in the cases noted, which presented a low specific gravity 

 (1006 — 1010), the quantity voided had been considerable, from 60 to 70 ounces in 

 the course of the 24 hours. 



On no occasion have I been able to detect " casts " of renal tubules in urine of 

 this nature, even in cases where previous attacks of- the malady have occurred. 



When subjected to microscopic examination, this kind of urine presents a finely 

 molecular appearance; when recent, however, scarcely any distinct oil-globules, such 

 as are constantly observed in milk, are present ; but when acetic acid is added, 

 followed by a little warm ether, this " molecular base " becomes replaced by large 

 globules of fat, which may be seen to form whilst the re-agents are being applied. 

 In the meshes of the coagulated substance numerous granular cells are seen, ap- 

 parently identical with those of chyle, lymph, or the white cells of the blood; and, 

 generally, a sprinkling, more or less marked, of red-blood corpuscles. 



Besides these, if the shred of coagulum on the slide has been properly " teased," 

 the Filarise, described in the preceding pages, will also be usually found. However, 

 they may not be present in every sample of chylous urine examined, or, rather, it 

 would, perhaps, be more correct to say, the numbers present may be so few as to 

 elude detection. 



With regard to the size of the Filarise which are met with in the urine, it may 

 be observed that they present the same measurements as those met with in the 

 blood ; some of the largest as well as some of the smallest examples have been 

 found in this secretion.* 



The importance of bearing in mind the difficulty that is sometimes experienced 

 in discovering the Filaria in the urine also, may possibly be more strongly impressed 

 by the narration of an illustrative case, which will, moreover, serve to draw attention 

 to other important matters bearing on the question of infection with Hsematozoa: — 



A European, aged 38, formerly in the army, was kindly sent to me by Dr. 



 1 have not succeeded in satisfying myself of having obtained distinct Ova on any single occasion, 

 although some hundreds of preparations of Chylous urine have been examined ; the sediment of a large 

 quantity of this fluid having been collected and preserved for the purpose. Ova of various insects are, not 

 uncommonly, found in urine of this character, even when it has been set aside for only a short time, and 

 ova-like bodies have frequently been distinguished, but hitherto they have all been rejected as merely 

 accidental occurrences. 



