314 



A. Plehn, in a recent paper, points out a 

 peculiar property of the urine sometimes ob- 

 served in black\yater cases. On boiling the 

 urine and allowing to stand for some time, a 

 bright purple colour appears. , 



We have observed that blackw^ater urines 

 made alkaline with potash, and then boiled 

 produce a purple colour, giving the bands of 

 haemochromogen (reduced haematin),., shewing 

 that the urine itself contained reducing bodies. 



Whether Plehn's purple colour is the same 

 we cannot say. 



PosT-MoRTEM Examination 



1. Make smear preparations of spleen, 

 kidney, liver, bone marrow, brain, etc. Examine 

 for parasites and pigmented leucocytes. Parasites 

 are generally absent, but pigmented leucocytes 

 may occur in large numbers in the spleen. Fine 

 pigment is also found in the liver in endothelial 

 capillary cells (Fig. 66). 



2. Cut sections, especially of brain tissue, as 

 parasites may be found in the capillaries and 

 nowhere else. 



Spleen. — Malarial pigment (melanin) occurs in large mono- 

 nuclear cells and in giant cells (macrophages). Melanin may 

 also occur in the stroma or even beneath the capsule. 



Liver. — Melanin occurs in endothelial cells, and especially 

 in macrophages. Yellow pigment (haemosiderin) occurs in 

 the liver cells, also, to a certain extent, in the same situations 

 as rhelanin. Apply the iron reaction '(mde Appendix) to the 

 sections. Haemosiderin gives the blue colour, melanin does not. 



Kidney. — Necrosis and desquamation of the epithelium of 

 the convoluted tubes. The straight tubules are blocked with 

 masses of granular matter, staining dark red with eosin. Inter- 

 stitial nephritis usually not present. 



Bone marrow. — Evidence of malarial infection (pigment). 

 Proliferation of normoblasts, 



