578 
DR. PROUT ON ANIMAL CHEMISTRY. 
are thrown out, in conjunction with the other diseased mate¬ 
rials. 
There are several subjects of great interest connected with this 
principle, which, if our time admitted, might be dwelt on—such 
as the presence or absence of obesity at particular periods of life, 
and under certain conditions and diseases of the animal economy; 
certain affections usually termed bilious , and especially the for¬ 
mation of cholesterine , a modification of the oleaginous principle, 
the chemical properties of which satisfactorily explain the for¬ 
mation of biliary concretions, &c. But I hasten, in the last 
place, to consider very briefly the 
Diseases more immediately connected with the Albuminous 
Principle .—Sometimes the albuminous matters pass through the 
kidneys unchanged, and appear in the urine either in the shape 
of chyle, and constituting the disease termed chylous urine (to be 
more particularly described in our next lecture), or in the shape 
of serum of the blood. Sometimes the lithate of ammonia is 
mixed with the albuminous matters, and I have seen a series of 
substances in the same urine, apparently in a variety of interme¬ 
diate grades, between albumen and lithate of ammonia; thus 
clearly proving the origin of the latter compound, and the dis- 
merorganizing power of the kidneys. Hence, in ordinary condi¬ 
tions of the animal economy, either in its natural state or under the 
excitement of fever, &c., it may be inferred that the imperfectly 
formed or dismerorganized albuminous matters are principally got 
rid of in the shape of lithate of ammonia in the urine. Thus, if 
an individual, otherwise in good health, eats a little too much, 
especially of animal food, the urine afterwards will be generally 
found loaded with lithate of ammonia and the matters usually 
accompanying it, and which, if he has been indolent, and the 
weather cold and chilly, will generally appear in the form of a 
sediment; but if he has been active, and the weather warm, will 
be usually retained in solution. So also when a portion of the 
albuminous matters already existing in the system is rendered 
unfit for the purposes of the economy, by feverish or inflammatory 
attacks, or any other cause, it is usually got rid of in the same 
way. These circumstances are liable to a variety of modifica¬ 
tions, in different ages and in different constitutions, but they 
present, in general terms, an explanation of the appearance of 
lithate of ammonia in the urine. 
Another very usual and obvious state of disease connected more 
immediately with the imperfect development and deficient meror- 
ganization of the albuminous principle, is struma , in all its dif¬ 
ferent forms and degrees. The curdy matter so well known to 
exist in these affections is nothing more nor less than the imper- 
