Dr. Schunck on Sugar in Urine, 179 



to cool further, still continues to increase, but in a much slower 

 degree. 



If to melted tin traces of lead or bismuth are added, a 

 decrement in the conducting power is observed, in fact almost 

 in the same ratio as the addition of the metal. 



II. Lead, when fused and at its point of solidification, behaves 

 in the same manner as tin ; and if traces of tin are added, an 

 increment, if bismuth, a decrement in the conducting power is 

 observed. 



III. Bismuth, when fused, behaves like tin or lead with an 

 increment of temperature, but at its point of solidification de- 

 creases rapidly, and from this point gains again, on cooling, in 

 conducting power. This fact has already been observed by 

 Matteucci*, and confirmed by one of usf. 



If to melted bismuth traces of tin or lead be added, a decre- 

 ment, and, on further addition, an increment in the conducting 

 power will be observed. This behaviour corresponds exactly 

 with that of these metals in a solid state ; in fact, if we had de- 

 termined the conducting power of the melted alloys, we should 

 have obtained similar curves to those found for the conducting 

 power of these alloys in a solid form J. We are sorry not to have 

 been able to determine the conducting power of mercury and its 

 alloys in a solid state, owing to the want of means and appliances 

 to freeze them. 



1 Torrington Street, 

 February 17, 1862. 



XXV. On Sugar in Urine. By E. Schunck, F.R.S. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 



Gentlemen, 



THE attention of chemists and physiologists has of late been 

 directed to the fact of the existence or formation of sugar, 

 or some substance much resembliug it, in various organs and 

 secretions of the body, even when these are in a perfectly healthy 

 state. The liver, for instance, is found to secrete a compound 

 which, under certain circumstances, is capable of being converted 

 into glucose, and which has received the name of glycogene or 

 hepatine ; and the urine is also supposed to contain sugar occa- 

 sionally, even when no suspicion exists of the presence of disease. 

 A fact connected with this subject, which was made known by 

 myself more than four years ago, seems to have been left almost 



* Ann. de Chirn. et de Phys. ser. 3. vol. xlii. p. 472. 

 t Phil. Mag. February 1857. 

 % Phil. Trans. I860, p. 161. 



N2 



