sons. In some diseases (intermittents, pulmonary emphysema, pneumonia, morbus Brightii) its exit is much delayed;1 and in three cases, in which large doses were given, it could be detected in the urine by Dietl for many weeks after the last dose. This would certainly indicate that it is not easily destroyed in the body; it may be in a state of very stable union, and possibly, by prolonging the analyses, more might be recovered than was done by Briquet and Herapath.

Dr. Ranke2 has made the important observation, that 20 grains of disulphate of quinine lessen very greatly (one half) the excretion (formation?) of uric acid. The experiments were made on three persons, and the results were uniform; the effect continued for about two days after a single large dose. The other constituents (water, solids, urea, chlorine, sulphuric and phosphoric acids) of the urine were unaffected.

Hammonds confirms the fact of the uric acid being lessened by quinine in a case of ague; the phosphoric acid and the free acidity were a little lessened, but the degree was trifling.

Böcker found no alteration in any ingredient; unfortunately, however, he did not sufficiently examine the uric acid, but the observation confirms Ranke's statement that the urea is unaffected.

No explanation can at present be given of the decrease of the uric acid, but it would seem more likely that it was not simply retained, as there was no evidence, in Ranke's cases, of any increased excretion after the effect of the quinine had gone off; its formation was probably absolutely lessened, or it must have been converted into some other substance.

Reynoso has stated that quinine produces saccharine urine; but Uhle's careful experiments negative this statement.5

Morphia.-Morphia in part passes unchanged into the urine. The effect of morphia and opium on the water of the urine is rather variable; it often lessens it (perhaps when the action of the skin is increased), but sometimes slightly increases it. The solids appear, however, to be always decreased; in some experiments by Böcker the decrease was about one eighth, and especially affected the earthy phosphates; a fact which led Böcker to the inference that the metamorphosis of bone is particularly

1 Dietl, Vom Uebergange des Chinins in den Harn. Wien Med. Wochensch, 1852, Nos. 47-50.

2 Medical Times and Gazette, May 30, 1857.

In his late work (Ausscheidung der Harnsaure, p. 43), Ranke recals the opinion expressed in the Medical Times, that the phosphoric acid was increased.

3 Amer. Journ., April, 1858.

4 Med. Zeitung Russlands, Sept., 1859, p. 289.

6

5 Op. cit., and Valentin's Report, in Canstatt's Jahresb. for 1853, p. 189.

Quoted by Clarus, Handb. der spec. Arzneimitt., 1856, p. 779.

ACETATE OF POTASH. (Experiments by the author. The results are given in ounces and grains.)

impeded. It may, however, have merely lessened absorption from the alimentary canal. The colour of the urine deepens, perhaps from concentration in the bladder, for micturition is less frequent; sediments of urates fall, from the lessening of the

water.

Morphia does not cause the appearance of any foreign ingredient. Coze,1 who noticed that morphia increased the amount of sugar in the liver and in the arterial blood, could not detect sugar in the urine.2

Atropine. The action of belladonna (and it is to be presumed of atropine) appears to be widely different from that of morphia. As is well known, it has not the astringent effects of morphia on the intestines, but even augments the intestinal discharges; and experiments by Böckers prove that it increases rather than diminishes the urinary water, urea, and extractives. The fireproof salts of the uric acid were found to be slightly lessened by the same observer, but the diminution was slight, and probably immaterial. The contrary influence of morphia and atropine on the pupil is interesting in connection with the above facts.

Atropine passes off, in part at any rate, by the urine, from which it can be readily recovered (Fuller and Kesteven).

Digitalin.-Digitalin, when taken in doses of 10 milligrammes a day, cannot be detected in the urine. No very satisfactory evidence has yet been brought forward to prove that digitalis, or digitalin, increases the amount of urine in health. Quevenne and Homolle have collected, in their elaborate essay, all the facts hitherto known, and of these the experiments of Hutchinson are the most satisfactory; in each of the series of experiments the amount of urine was greatly increased. Pereira also states that it "sometimes acts as a diuretic, even in health."7

Hammond, from a three days' observation, gives the follow

1 Quoted by Meissner, in Henle's Zeitschrift; Report on Phys. for 1857, Band iii, p. 265.

2 Reynoso thought he detected sugar in the urine; but if it occasionally is found, it is certainly most unfrequent.

3 Beitrage zur Heilk., vol. ii, p. 257.

4 Med.-Chir. Trans., 1859.

5 Bouchardat's Archives de Phys., No. 1. Homolle and Quevenne, Paris, 1854, p. 209.

Mémoire sur la digitaline, par MM. The test, however, was merely the absence of bitter taste, a mode of experimenting which would not seem accurate, but which the authors believe, in this case, to be more certain than chemical analysis.

6 Ibid., p. 162.

7 Materia Med., p. 1390, 3d edition.

⚫ Correspondenz Blatt des Vereins für wiss. Heilk., Oct., 1859; and Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia).

ing amounts of the water, organic and inorganic solids, in centimeters and grammes:

The several ingredients were not determined; but it would appear that the water was increased, the fixed salts lessened, the organic solids unaltered. Still, three days are not enough to give a true mean, and the amount of water taken in the ingesta was not determined.

Other authors (Krahmer, &c.) have, however, denied altogether the diuretic action in healthy persons. In diseases, and especially in dropsies, the diuretic influence would appear from many observations, particularly from those of Andral and Lemaistre, to be undoubted.1 Christison has also noted the same fact. In dogs, Siegmund noticed the urine to be slightly increased. The effect on the solids is not yet known. Siegmund, in dogs, found the urea slightly decreased (from 2 612 to 2·143 grammes in twenty-four hours).

4

The cause of the difference in action of digitalis in health and disease may perhaps be explained by reference to its action on the heart and vessels. As well expressed by Albers, digitalis "is only healing in fever, in phthisis florida, in acute dropsy; i. e., in cases in which there is rapid action of the heart to be moderated, and lateral pressure on the vessels to be controlled. Strychnine passes off, in part at any rate, by the urine, though whether all that is taken can be recovered in this way is not known. The effect on the constituents is unknown.

Veratrin and Nicotin.-No experiments have been made on healthy men. Tobacco was praised by Foubers as a diuretic in dropsies, but succeeding writers have not confirmed his statements.6

Colchicin; colchicum.-No experiments have yet been made

1 L'Union Médicale, 1851, Nos. 52 and 53. In nineteen experiments, the urine was increased in fourteen. Micturition was more frequent.

2 Monthly Journal, 1855, January.

3 Einwirkung des Digitalin und der Durchschneidung des Vagus auf die Harnstoff ausscheidung, Virchow's Archiv, vol. vi, p. 238. Section of the vagis increased the urea; digitalis, as said above, lessened it.

4 Handbuch der allg. Arzneimittellehre, von Dr. J. H. Albers, 1853, p. 3.

5 Med. Report of the Effects of Tobacco, 1785.

6 On dogs, Dr. von Praag found veratin and nicotin produce no increase of urine, except in two exceptional cases. (Veratin, Nicotin, Toxicol. Pharm. Studien, von Dr. J. L. von Praag, Virchow's Archiv, Band vii, p. 252.)