959 



The genera conclusions are — 



That in acute chorea, in which the muscles are in excessive action, 

 the sulphates and urea in the urine are greatly increased. 



That in delirium tremens the same state of urine is frequently 

 met with when the phosphates are not at all increased. 



That in acute inflammation of the nervous structures sulphates 

 and phosphates are both increased in the urine. 



That in chronic diseases of the brain, and in other acute and chro- 

 nic inflammations, no increase of the sulphates is observed except 

 after sulphate of magnesia. 



The result is that muscular action increases the sulphates in the 

 urine without increasing the phosphates ; and that inflammation of 

 the brain increases the sulphates as well as phosphates in the urine. 



5. " Second Appendix to a paper on the Variations of the Acidity 

 of the Urine in Health." By Henry Bence Jones, M.D., F.R.S. 



In a previous paper and appendix, the eff'ect of different diets, of 

 sulphuric and tartaric acids, of caustic potash and tartrate of potash 

 on the acidity of the urine was traced. In this appendix tartrate 

 and carbonate of ammonia are the substances whose influence is de- 

 termined, the object being to examine the comparative eff'ect of fixed 

 and volatile alkalies. 



The first day two drachms of tartrate of ammonia were taken in 

 distilled water, the second day 288 grains were taken, and the third 

 day 177 grains. 



Comparative experiments were made when no tartrate of ammonia 

 was taken ; the result was that tartrate of ammonia caused no per- 

 ceptible diminution of the acidity of the urine. The difference be- 

 tween tartrate of ammonia and tartrate of potash may be shortly 

 stated thus : two drachms of tartrate of potash made the urine al- 

 kaline in thirty-five minutes after it was taken, whilst three drachms 

 of tartrate of ammonia produced no perceptible effect on the acidity 

 of the urine. 



The sesquicarbonate of pharmacy was then tried. The first day 

 18 grains were taken dissolved in distilled water, the second day 40 

 grains, the third day 80 grains. Comparative experiments were 

 made without the volatile alkali, and it was found that in these doses 

 carbonate of ammonia did not diminish the acidity of the urine ; on 

 the contrary, the acidity was higher than usual, and it was increased 

 for twenty-four hours after the volatile alkali was taken. 



Further experiments were made with 80 grains of carbonate of 

 ammonia on two different days : no diminution of the acidity of the 

 urine was produced on either day. The fi.rst day the quantity of 

 urine was much increased, and thus probably an increase in the 

 acidity of the urine was not evident. The second day on which the 

 carbonate of ammonia was taken the increase in the acidity of the 

 urine was perceptible. 



Thus the effect of volatile alkali on the acidity of the urine is to- 

 tally distinct from the effect of fixed alkali; and the author considers, 

 that by determining the variations of the nitrates in the urine, the 

 cause of this difference will be discovered. 



