COMPOSITION OF EDEMATOUS FLUIDS 299 



seldom occurs spontaneously ; pneumococcus exudates seem 

 particularly rich in fibrinogen, which coagulates rapidly and 

 firmly. Joachim l found in pleural transudates and exudates 

 that the proportion of albumin, euglobulin, and pseudoglobulin 

 is always proportionally lower in hydrothorax than in pleurisy. 

 Of different forms of ascites, the largest proportion of globulin 

 and the smallest of albumin occur in cirrhosis ; while with 

 carcinoma the proportions are reversed. In general the albumin 

 is more abundant than the globulin, but, as Umber 2 has found, 

 the proportion of albumin sinks more rapidly in cachexia than 

 does the globulin, corresponding to the similar changes in the 

 blood proteids. The amount of proteid lost in exudates is 

 strikingly shown by one of Umber's cases of cancerous ascites ; 

 during one year the fluid removed by paracentesis contained not 

 less than three kilos of pure proteid, the patient weighing but 

 55.5 kilos. 



Several authors have found in inflammatory ascitic exudates 

 a proteid having physical and chemical properties much 

 resembling mucin ; it has been especially studied by Umber, 3 

 who finds it quite similar to the synovial mucin isolated in 

 arthritis by Salkowski, and calls it serosamucin. 



Proteoses, leucin, and tyrosin may be present in small quan- 

 tities in exudates, being produced by autolysis (Umber) ; 

 and also mucoid substances (Hammarsten). Nucleoproteids 

 may be present from leucocytic disintegration in exudates, as 

 well as the products of their further splitting, such as purin 

 bases and phosphates. Galdi and Appiani 4 found uric acid 

 constantly in amounts between 0.0055 g. and 0.0714 g., in all 

 exudates, of which seven were tuberculous and two neoplastic. 

 In three transudates amounts from 0.006 to 0.011 were found. 

 Allantoin, which Pohl states is a characteristic product of 

 nucleoproteid autolysis, has been found in exudates (Moscatelli 5 ). 



All the other innumerable components of plasma may be 

 found in edematous fluids ; thus sugar (Pickardt 6 ) and urea 

 (Carriere 7 ) are usually present, as well as other extractives. 

 Lecithin is always present, partly bound to globulin and partly 



1 ranger's Arch., 1903 (93), 558. 



3 Loc. eit. 



3 Zeit. klin. Med., 1903 (48), 364; also Hoist, Upsalalakar. Forhand, 

 1904, p. 304. 



* Kiforma Med., 1904, p. 1373 ; also Carriere, Compt. Kend.Soc. BioL, 1899 

 (51), 467. 



5 Zeit. physiol. Chem., 1889 (13), 202. 



6 Berl. klin. Woch., 1897 (34), 844. 



7 Loc. cit. 



