238 DR. ARTHUR RANSOME ON THE 



2. In Disease. — In diseased states of the system we find 

 a much greater variation in the amount and kind of organic 

 matter given off. The breath of 1 7 cases of disease was 

 examined. 



In 3 cases of catarrh^ in i case of measles^ and in i of 

 diphtheria the total ammonia obtained was much less than 

 in healthy in no case rising higher than 0*2 of a milli- 

 gram — a result which is probably due to the abundance 

 of mucus in these complaints, by which the fine solid par- 

 ticles of the breath are entangled. 



The cases of whooping cough were children, and there- 

 fore we cannot be sure that the deficiency of organic 

 matter in these instances was not due to age ;. and this is 

 the more probable since the only healthy child^s breath 

 contained 0*275 milligram of ammonia in 100 minims, 

 a quantity less than that contained in the breath of any 

 healthy adult. 



In 2 cases of phthisis, with abundant expectoration, the 

 total ammonia was also less than in health ; but in i case 

 of this disease, with abundant purulent sputa, but asso- 

 ciated with Bright^ s disease, a large amount of organic 

 matter was given off. 



We cannot doubt, however, that the albuminuria which 

 was present in this case had an influence upon the result. 

 A portion of the ammonia was, in fact, due to urea, or to 

 some kindred substance ; and we may, perhaps, ascribe the 

 general excess of organic matter to some peculiarity in 

 the breath due to the kidney-disease. 



It is in fact in kidney-diseases that the largest amount 

 of organic matter of all kinds is to be found in the 

 breath. The ammonia in one case of Bright^s disease 

 rises as high as 0*9 millegram in 1T|_ 100 of fluid, in another 

 to 0*825, and in a third (a slight case) the quantity is 0*5. 



Both the free ammonia and that due to urea are verv 



