1892.] 



The Influence of the Kidney on Metabolism. 



33 



In all these cases it is seen that the amonnt of urine excreted after 

 the second operation is very large, and in all the cases where the 

 amount of urine was also determined before the operation it is found 

 that the latter daily quantity is far less. In only four out of the 

 six cases was the daily output of urea investigated both before and 

 after the operation. In Dog No. 5 the urea was apparently decreased 

 in amount, but in reality it must have been greatly increased, as, 

 owing to a mistake and absence from the laboratory, the urines, after 

 the operation, were put aside for several days, and only tested when 

 putrefaction had taken place ; hence the real amount was probably 

 far greater than 8 grams. In the other three cases, the output of 

 urea was either slightly diminished or slightly increased ; this result 

 is of considerable interest from the fact that these dogs ate little or 

 nothing after the operation. Thus, No. 22 passed 5 grams of urea 

 daily with a diet of 230 grams of dog biscuit ; after the operation 

 5" 5 grams of urea were excreted, but no food was taken, the animal 

 refusing to eat the biscuit. 



In No. 28, 9 grams of urea were excreted per diem with 100 grams 

 of meat and 100 grams of biscuit daily ; after the operation 8 grams 

 of urea, with the ingesta diminished to 40 grams of meat and 20 grams 

 of biscuit daily. Similarly, in No. 14, a liberal allowance of meat 

 and biscuit were given and eaten before the operation, but after only 

 small quantities of meat were eaten, and often none at all. The com- 

 paratively small quantity of urea excreted in these cases, when com- 

 pared to the instances given in Table II, is not dependent upon any 

 inability on the part of the fragment of kidney left to excrete urea. 

 This is well shown by the following observation on No. 22. This 

 dog, as just mentioned, excreted only 5*5 grams of urea per diem 

 with no ingesta ; but, on a diet of 200 grams of meat, the daily out- 

 put of urea rose immediately to an average of 15 grams, and on 

 some days as much as 19 grams were excreted by a fragment of 

 kidney found on post-mortem examination to weigh only 10 grams. 

 Hence, even in the cases where the urea is not absolutely largely in- 

 creased, it is really increased when we remember that the ingesta are 

 greatly diminished, and that the dog may pass as much, or even 

 more, urea during a whole week with no food as the animal previously 

 passed on a full diet, e.g., No. 22. In all six cases described in 

 Table II the operation was followed by death in from one to four 

 weeks. 



It is to be noted that in all the ten cases summarised in Tables II 

 and III, the total amount of kidney substance removed amounted to 

 some three-fourths or more of the total kidney weight, with one 

 exception, where only two-thirds was removed. In all these ten 

 cases there were emaciation, hydruria, and polyuria, absolute or 

 relative. 



VOL. LI. d 



