110 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
shown by the following examination of the urine of November 25th 
and 26th, after deposition of crystals : — 
Acidity in per cent. Oxalic Acid. 
November 25, 11 a.m., . 
. 0*1512 
„ „ 6 p.m.,. 
. 0*1764 
,, ,, 11.30 p.m., . 
. 0*3969 
,, 26, 7 a.m. . . 
. 0*2961 
Again, on the rare occasions upon which ammoniacal decomposi- 
tion occurred, the crystals did not form. 
The amount of globulin held in solution is enormous when com- 
pared with the amount of inorganic salts of the urine. On December 
2nd these amounted to 1*475 per cent., and it is probably on this 
account that the globulin separates out, just as it does in the dialyser. 
A fall in temperature does not appear to be the factor bringing about 
crystallisation, because, while undoubtedly very copious precipitates 
of crystals were got in urine kept in ice. Dr Bramwell notes that a 
large precipitate appeared in the urine of June 10th on the day after 
it was passed. 
Resistance to Ammoniacal Decomposition. — One point worthy of 
notice is the great resistance to the ordinary processes of decomposi- 
tion offered by a urine so rich in proteids. Many specimens were 
kept standing for weeks on the Laboratory table without undergoing 
ammoniacal fermentation. The globulin undoubtedly exercises an 
antiseptic effect. 
(5) Source of the Globulin. 
Relationship to Blood Plasma. — Having studied the nature of the 
globulin, it next became necessary to investigate its mode of pro- 
duction. 
Have we to do with a simple transudation of the proteids of the 
blood plasma? 
Lecorche et Telamon {Traite de V Albuminuric^ Paris, 1888) and 
Estelle maintain that the proteids of the urine in albuminuria occur 
in the same proportion in wdiich they exist in the blood plasma. 
In another paper {Brit. Med. Journal^ vol. ii. p. 197, 1890) I 
have shown reason to doubt their results, and have argued against 
the existence of any proportion between the relative amounts of the 
