North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826Various
History
North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826
Various
Medicine -- Periodicals
The diseased derangement, consisting in an excess of urea in the urine,
has not been particularly noticed by any writer before Dr. PROUT, who
believes that it has probably been confounded with that form of
diabetes, called diabetes _insipidus_. The state of the urine and
symptoms in this species of urinary derangement are thus described by
our author:
"The average specific gravity of the urine seems to be a little
above 1.020, and occasionally to vary from 1.015 to 1.030. Most
generally it is pale, but occasionally it is high coloured, and
exhibits somewhat the appearance of porter, more or less
diluted with water; and this variety in appearance not
unfrequently takes place in the urine of the same person. When
first voided, it reddens litmus paper. For the most part, it is
entirely free from sediment, except the mucous cloud of healthy
urine; and the only remarkable property which it appears to
possess, is that of containing abundance of urea; so that on
the addition of nitric acid, crystallization speedily takes
place. From the quantity of urea present, it is very prone to
decomposition, and soon becomes alkaline, especially in warm
weather.
"There is almost constantly in these diseases, a frequent and
urgent desire of passing water both by night and day. This
desire is for the most part evidently excited by actual
_diuresis_, or the increased quantity of urine; but frequently
it cannot be ascribed to this cause, as the quantity voided at
one time is often by no means considerable; though in almost
every instance that has fallen under my observation, the total
quantity voided during any given time has appeared to be
greater than natural. The quantity appears also to be
particularly liable to be increased by cold weather, and by all
causes producing mental agitation. There is sometimes a sense
of weight or dull pain in the back, but this is by no means a
constant symptom. There is also occasional irritation about the
neck of the bladder, which sometimes extends along the urethra.
The functions of the skin appear to be natural; at least in
every case which has come under my own observation,
perspiration has been rather easily induced. The pulse is not
affected. There is no remarkable thirst, nor craving for food,
except in extreme cases; nor are the functions of the stomach
and bowels much deranged. Hence for the most part the tongue is
clean, and the dejections regular and apparently natural.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account