On the functional diseases of the renal, urinary, and reproductive organs : with a general review of urinary pathology / by D. Campbell Black.

  • Black, D. Campbell (Donald Campbell), 1841-1898.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the functional diseases of the renal, urinary, and reproductive organs : with a general review of urinary pathology / by D. Campbell Black. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    89/396 (page 61)
    digitalis, which acts as a stimulant, and not a depres- sant. If alcoholic stimulants be deemed advisable, they must be given in small quantities. Thus adminis- tered, benefit should accrue from their employment. They diminish tissue change, and consequently less work is imposed upon the kidney, less urea being formed. It is principally their narcotic manifestation that must be guarded against. The presence of albumen in the urine, it may be observed, is not necessarily indicative of disease of the kidney. It may be due to a peculiar condition of the albumen in the blood, induced by various diseases.^'' * Albumen is found in the urine when the blood contains an abundant amount of water, or a diminution of albumen. These states are relatively- termed, hyp-albuminosis and hydrseniia. This simply bears out what has already been advanced regarding the co-relation of the structure of glands to the condition of the blood circulating through them. If water exist in the blood in excess of the normal proportion which in health it bears to albumen, or if the albumen be relatively diminished, which amounts to the same thing, the constitution of the albumen is so altered that it transudes through the renal capillaries. (Firfe footnote, page 21). Albumen acted upon by the gastric juice no longer retains the characteristics by which this substance is usually recognised. Heat and nitric acid have no effect upon it now, and it dialyses much more readily than albumen as it exists in the white of the egg. Bernard has shown that albumen introduced into the blood speedily renders the urine albuminous; hence there must be a difference in physical property between albumen acted upon by the gastric juice (albu- minose), and albumen as it ordinarily exists. Dr Pavy has shown that not. only does albumen so introduced appear speedily in the urine, but in like manner milk and gelatine, and even the serum of one animal introduced into the blood of another. Dr Pavy accord- ingly infers that these proximate principles are not adapted, in the state they are met with in our food, for retention in the system, and administration to the requirements of the economy. But, further, we recognise the presence of albumen in the urine by means of heat and nitric acid, and if this albinnen be in the same isomeric condition as that existing in the blood, it follows that it has undergone yet another change since being acted upon by the gastric juice that it has returned to its former state. Dr Pavy is disposed to account for albuminaria on the supposition that the