DISEASES OP THE BLOOD. 101 



ministration of stimulants as ammonia and artificial 

 respiration. On examination of the body after death, the 

 Innffs are found cons^ested and the blood dark. 



Jaundice — Jcterus — is accumulation in the blood of 

 matters which should be removed by the liver. This 

 seldom causes acute diseases, and may be due either to 

 non-elimination in consequence of structural derangement 

 of the organ or to reabsorption of bile in consequence 

 of obstruction to its escape into the bowel. The bile 

 constitutes an outlet for much of the colouring matter 

 set free by breaking up of the red corpuscles, also for 

 cholesterine and for certain bile salts, glycocholates, and 

 taurocholates. When these salts enter the bowel they 

 undergo changes, and probably become reabsorbed and 

 utilised for respiratory purposes, as they contain a con- 

 siderable amount of carbon and hydrogen. But if intro- 

 duced into the blood before undergoing change they 

 cause solution of the red colouring matter in the serum. 

 They are probably formed in the liver. This is a useful 

 fact as far as diagnosis is concerned. If the bile be not 

 secreted only the colouring matter will be removed by the 

 kidneys, whereas if the bile be reabsorbed the character- 

 istic bile acids will be found in the urine. We will 

 summarise the testing processes from Dr. Legge^s useful 

 little work on the urine. The urine is deep in colour, and 

 stains white filtering paper yellow. 



Gmelin's Test determines presence of bile pigments. 

 Allow a drop of nitric acid and of the urine to be 

 examined to run together on a porcelain dish, at their line 

 of contact a play of colours will occur, consisting of green, 

 violet, blue, and red. The red colour will appear with 

 any urine. The green colour is most distinctive. 



Pettenhofer's Test is for the bile acids. " Pour the 

 fluid containing the bile acids into a test tube ; sulphuric 

 acid being then added, at first in small quantity, to preci- 

 pitate the bile acids, but afterwards in amount sufficient 

 to redissolve them, which renders the mixture perceptibly 

 hot to the hand. A drop of syrup may now be let fall 

 into the liquid, which then shows a play of colours, passing 



