ON PHOSPHATE OP AMMONIA. 13 
account these two prominent facts above stated, namely, the 
excess of lithic acid found in the urine at the period of con- 
valescence from an attack of acute gout or rheumatism, and 
the subsequent deposit of soda and lime in the white tissues, 
it occurred to me, that, during the existence of these dis- 
eases, the lithic acid might exist in the blood in a state of 
combination with soda and lime in the form of insoluble 
compounds, which the kidneys and skin refuse to eliminate. 
If then any agent could be found capable of decomposing 
the lithates of soda and lime existing in the blood, and of 
forming in their stead two soluble salts, which would be 
voided by the kidneys and skin, we should thereby get rid 
of the excess of fibrin in the blood, the symptomatic fever 
and the gouty and rheumatic inflammation, wherever seated, 
which have been excited by the presence of these insoluble 
salts. It occurred to me that phosphate of ammonia might 
be the agent, provided it could be given in doses sufficient 
to answer the end without producing any unpleasant phy- 
siological symptoms. If our theory were true, phosphate of 
ammonia seemed to be the proper reagent, for it would form 
in place of the insoluble lithate of soda, two soluble salts, 
the phosphate of soda, which is remarkably soluble, and 
the lithate of ammonia, which is also soluble, and both ca- 
pable of being readily passed by the skin and kidneys. The 
excess of uric acid would thus be got rid of in the form of 
lithate of ammonia ; and the soda, floating in the round of 
the circulation, (instead of being deposited, as it were, like 
an alluvial formation in the substance of the fibrous and 
cartilaginous tissues,) would be taken up by the phosphoric 
acid and eliminated from the circulation. Based on this 
theory I determined to try this salt, and it was not long 
after that a favourable opportunity presented itself." 
Since the publication of Dr. Buckler's paper, phosphate 
of ammonia has ceased to be known only to the chemist, 
and has become one of " the new remedies." If time shall 
VOL. XII. — no. i. 2 
