Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1887. 
Forms  of  Albumen  in  Urine. 
501 
also,  according  to  methods  described  in  works  dealing  with  the  subject 
of  physiological  chemistry,  the  globulin  may  be  separated  nearly  pure, 
and  its  amount  determined. 
Fehling's  Solution,  or  other  alkaline  solution  of  copper,  is  a  most  con- 
venient test  for  peptone  and  propeptone,  giving  with  these  a  rose- pink 
or  purple  color  at  the  point  of  contact  of  the  test  with  the  supernatant 
urine  and  producing  no  effect  upon  the  others,  with  the  exception  of 
serum  albumen,  with  which  it  gives  a  brownish-red  hue. 
Randolph's  Test  for  peptone  and  propeptone,  which  consists  in  the 
addition  of  one  drop  of  saturated  solution  of  iodide  of  potassium  and 
then  of  two  drops  of  Millon's  reagent  (an  acid  solution  of  nitrate  of 
mercury)  to  a  drachm  of  urine,  gives  a  yellow,  instead  of  a  red  precipi- 
tate when  these  substances  are  present;  but  as  Randolph  has  pointed 
out,  it  gives  the  same  color  reaction  with  bile  salts,  which  are  fre- 
quently present  in  considerable  amount  in  the  urine.  Therefore  we 
cannot  esteem  it  so  highly  as  the  copper  and  alkali  test. 
The  presence  of  haemoglobin  may  be  made  out  by  the  guaiac  reaction 
or  by  the  spectroscope ;  the  presence  of  fibrin  may  be  ascertained  by 
its  decomposing  with  effervescence  hydrogen  peroxide ;  mucin  may  be 
discovered  by  means  of  citric  or  acetic  acid;  and  waxy  material  may 
be  shown  (if  it  is  ever  present)  by  iodine,  and  sulphuric  acid,  or  by 
methylaniline  violet. 
Table  II  will  show  the  results  of  tests  as  to  the  relative  delicacy 
of  the  principal  tests  for  albumen.  The  first  column  shows  the  dilu- 
tion up  to  which  the  action  of  each  reagent  remained  distinct ;  the 
second  shows  the  percentage  of  albumen,  as  calculated  from  the  total 
quantity  in  the  undiluted  fluid  and  the  number  of  dilutions ;  and  the 
third  shows  the  grains,  or  parts  of  a  grain,  per  ounce,  as  calculated 
from  the  same  data : 
Table  II. — Showing  the  Comparative  Delicacy  of  Tests  for  Serum  Albumen. 
TESTS. 
DILU- 
TIONS. 
PER- 
CENTAGE. 
GRAINS  PER 
OUNCE. 
300 
500 
50 
500 
1000 
500 
500 
0.0005 
0.0003 
0.003 
0.0003 
0.00015 
0.0003 
0.0003 
0.00218 
0.001311 
0.01311 
0.001311 
0.000655 
0.001311 
0.001311 
