132 
New  Crystalline  Acid  in  Urine. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      March.  1887. 
Wormley,  for  further  investigation.  From  Prof.  Wormley  it  canie 
to  me.  From  the  results  obtained  by  the  three  independent  observers 
it  was  concluded  that  the  reducing  substance  was  certainly  not  glu- 
cose. This  conclusion  was  at  once  communicated  to  Prof.  Donaldson 
by  Prof.  Tyson,  and  at  the  same  time  Prof.  Tyson  requested  that  a 
larger  quantity  of  urine  be  sent  to  me  for  further  examination.  This 
larger  quantity  was  kindly  sent  by  Prof.  Donaldson,  and  arrived  at 
the  University  on  November  17th,  and  the  examination  was  immedi- 
ately continued.  A  few  days  afterward  (November  21)  crystals  of 
the  lead  salt  of  the  acid  were  obtained.  Prof.  Donaldson  was  at  once 
informed  of  this  result,  and  at  the  same  time  a  few  cry?? Lais  of  the  salt 
were  sent  to  him. 
From  Prof.  Donaldson  it  was  learned  that  the  urine  in  question 
was  voided  by  a  man  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  of  florid  complexion, 
and  of  average  height  and  weight.  His  general  health  and  nutrition 
have  always  been  good.  He  has  never  had  any  muscular  weakness  or 
inordinate  thirst,  no  emaciation,  but  instead  a  continued  increase  in 
weight,  no  excessive  quantity  of  the  secretions.  He  has  always  been 
temperate  as  to  alcoholic  stimulants.  Since  his  seventeenth  year  he 
has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and  at  present  is  superin- 
tendent of  a  planing-mill  which  position  requires  his  visiting  the  mill 
two  or  three  times  daily. 
The  case  is  peculiarly  interesting,  because  of  the  man's  having  re- 
peatedly, during  the  past  two  and  a  half  years,  applied  to  the  various 
life  insurance  companies  represented  in  Baltimore  for  insurance,  but 
each  time  suffering  rejection  because  of  the  response  of  his  urine  to 
certain  reagents  used  in  testing  for  glucose,  a  response  which  naturally 
was  considered  to  be  due  to  glucose. 
Upon  the  ingestion  of  certain  substances,  other  substances  appear 
in  the  urine,  which  have  a  reducing  action  upon  alkaline  copper  solu- 
tions. When  camphor  is  ingested,  camphoglycuronic  acid,  C16H2408, 
appears  in  the  urine.  This  breaks  up  into  glycuronic  acid,  C6H10O7; 
which  has  a  strong  reducing  action.  Chloroform  in  the  urine  also  re- 
duces alkaline  copper  solution.  Chloral  is  converted  into  urochlor- 
alic  acid,  C8H13C1307.  Turpentine  into  terpenoglycuronic  acid.  Mor- 
phia forms  a  reducing  substance.  Phenol  (carbolic  acid)  and  benzol 
form  hydrochiuon,  C6H4(OH)2.  Phenol  and  benzol  are  also  converted 
into  oxyphenic  acid  (pyro-catechuic  acid),  C6H4(OH)2,  which  latter 
probably  is  identical  with  the  substance  described  by  Boedeker  as  al- 
