III. On a new substance occurring in the Urine of a patient with Mollities Ossium. 
Bp Henry Bence Jones, M.A., F.R.S., Physiciati to St. George's Hospital. 
Received February 25^ — Read April 22, 1847. 
On the 1st of November 1845 I received from Dr. Watson the following note, with 
a test tube containing a thick, yellow, semi-solid substance; — “The tube contains 
urine of very high specific gravity; when boiled it becomes highly opake; on the 
addition of nitric acid it eflfervesces, assumes a reddish hue, becomes quite clear, but, 
as it cools, assumes the consistence and appearance which you see: heat reliquifies 
it. What is it ?” 
A few hours afterwards a specimen of the same urine, passed by a grocer forty- 
seven years of age, who had been out of health for thirteen months, was sent to me 
by Dr. MacIntyre. He being in attendance on the case with Dr. Watson, had two 
days previously first observed the peculiar reactions of the urine. 
The specimen of urine was slightly acid; specific gravity 1034'2; it contained a 
sediment consisting of crystalline phosphate of lime, oxalate of lime, and cylinders 
of fibrin. The urine became thick with heat from a deposit of phosphates, but 
cleared with a drop of acid. It gave no precipitate with an excess of nitric acid, 
unless left to stand, or unless heated and left to cool, when it became solid. This 
solid redissolved by heat, and again formed on cooling. Continued boiling with 
strong nitric acid evolved but little gas, and did not quickly hinder this reaction. 
Hydrochloric acid gave the same solid precipitate, soluble by heat. Strong acetic 
acid gave only a slight precipitate, which redissolved by heat. Caustic potash and 
sulphate of copper gave a splendid bright blue, clear liquid, passing over when 
heated to claret colour. 
51 6*84 grains evaporated to dryness in vacuo over sulphuric acid, gave 48’37 grains 
solid residue =93-58 per 1000 urine. 
November 3rd. — I received more urine from the same patient. It gave a greater 
sediment, consisting of urate of ammonia, and some amorphous phosphate of lime, 
and some coarse cylinders. Filtered, specific gravity =1043-2. The reactions were 
the same as before. 
52T39 grains gave 65-85 grains solid residue =126-30 per 1000 urine. 
All the phosphoric acid was precipitated in combination with lime by adding 
chloride of calcium and ammonia. Phosphate of lime =5 68 per 1000 urine. 
November 7th. — Water from the same patient contained some sediment of crystal- 
line phosphate, some granular and laminar phosphate of lime : some coarse cylinders 
