270 PENTOSURIA 



gastric and intestinal symptoms and supposed himself to be a diabetic. Small 

 amounts of sugar had been frequently found in his urine, and a suitable diet 

 had been advised. The report from a Warsaw chemical laboratory shows 

 slight quantities of sugar found by Trommer's test and a positive reaction to 

 phenylhydrazin. This patient was also conspicuously thin. Bial determined 

 that pentose was present in the urine in July, 1898, as well as constantly for 

 twenty days in July, 1899, but no grape sugar could be found. 



Case V (Bial). A druggist, twenty-eight years old, perfectly well. The 

 amount of pentose in Case IV amounted to 0.3 per cent, in Case V, 0.35 per 

 cent. 



Case VI. Eeported by Dr. Fritz Meyer. A merchant, aged thirty-nine, 

 never previously ill, was rejected by a life insurance company six years ago, 

 and before the discovery of pentosuria, on account of diabetes. He was treated 

 in Carlsbad, was on a strict diet, and was declared to be cured as the examina- 

 tion of his urine by the polariscope showed optical inactivity. Five years ago 

 he married, and is now the father of a healthy child. His health, with the 

 exception of a mild attack of perityphlitis, has always been good. In April, 

 1900, symptoms appeared which gave rise to the suspicion of a constitutional 

 disease; his weight is said to have decreased decidedly; it amounted to 150 

 pounds. He complained of headache, lumbar pains, lassitude, vertigo, and 

 severe neuralgia, particularly in the region of the sciatics. The urine 

 amounted to 1,800 c.c. ; it was clear, contained no formed elements, and was 

 without albumin. The urine reacted positively to Trommer's and Moore's 

 tests ; being optically inactive it was examined for pentose, and pentosuria was 

 determined. 



In the seventh case, the patient was an American lady, who had been several 

 times under treatment in Carlsbad on account of supposed diabetes. Her case 

 was always considered to be a severe one, for, in spite of the strictest diet, it 

 was never possible to render the urine aglycosuric. In this case quite a 

 decided amount .of pentose was found, over 1 per cent., but not the slightest 

 trace of grape sugar. 



The eighth case (Dr. Brat) occurred in a lady, aged sixty-two, who for 

 several years was under professional treatment on account of a presumably 

 mild diabetes. She had a slight degree of fatty heart, otherwise, however, 

 she was quite well. This lady has been under my observation for more than 

 a year, and in this entire time has never excreted grape sugar. In her case, 

 however, the urine was somewhat dextro-rotary, 0.2 per cent., and I believe it 

 therefore not unlikely that, besides inactive pentose, a dextro-rotary pentose 

 was present in slight degree. 



Case IX. The brother of the patient Just described (Case VIII), aged 

 about fifty, perfectly well. His urine showed about 75 per cent, of pentose. 

 According to analyses made by several chemists since 1892, 0.2 to 2 per cent, of 

 sugar was determined. One found only a reducing property in the urine but 

 no sugar. There is no question in my mind that the gentleman was not dia- 

 betic, for a breakfast containing large amounts of sugar gave no results. The 

 case is otherwise of no clinical interest; the other brothers and sisters present 

 neither diabetes nor pentosuria. 



