Randolph; subject, "Typhoid Fever," with notes from his practice. Dr. Frith, of the Academy of Medicine, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was introduced to the society and presented an essay entitled, "Shall distinctive names be used to classify practitioners of medicine of different schools?" All the essays were fully discussed by the members present.

The session was continued at the Revere House Friday forenoon, Dr. John Perrins, of Boston, presiding. Dr. Wares, of Haverhill, presented a very interesting essay on the action of the Veratrum Viride, the greater part of the session being given up to the lengthy discussion of the subject following the reading of the paper, in which Drs. Griswold and Smith, of New York, and R. W. Geddes, Andrews, Gerald, Lloyd and others participated. Resolutions of respect were adopted for the deceased members, Dr. Henry S. Dearborn, of Amesbury, Mass., and Prof. Paul W. Allen, of New York.

At 1 o'clock, the orator of the day, Milbrey Green, M. D., of Boston Highlands, delivered the annual oration, his subject being "Obstetrics and Gynecology in America."

The following physicians were appointed delegates to the National Eclectic Medical Association, which held its annual meeting at Chicago on the 16th, 17th and 18th inst.: Drs. Allen, Geddes, Newton, Gerald, N. Jewett, Spencer and Mason. The society then adjourned.

The Executive Committee met at 5 P. M., and it was voted that the next annual and semi-annual meetings be held in Boston; that Dr. Milbrey Green be Anniversary Chairman; Anniversary Committee, Drs. Green, Jackson and Bills; Publication Committee, Drs. Miles, Green, Town and Chase; Auditing Committee, Drs. Joseph Jackson and S. C. Arms; Committee on Essayists, Drs. Gerald and Chase. Delegates to the following State societies were appointed: Maine, Drs. M. Dickins and Carswell; New Hampshire, Drs. Geddes and Marston; Vermont, Drs. A. Jewett, Jr., and Wyman; Connecticut, Drs. West and Buxton; New York, Drs. Andrews and Lloyd; Ohio, Drs. Green and Gerald.

A. L. CHASE, Recording Secretary.

ITEMS.

THE New York Record is responsible for this: “What is the difference between a man and a woman? Answer, Vas deferens."

ONE of the most remarkable cases of double reflex action on record has recently been reported. The wife has the hysterics because her husband drinks, and the husband drinks because the wife has the hysterics.

SANITARY SCIENCE.-Says the Lancet: "Mrs. Partington trundling her mop in the face of the Atlantic, shriekingly exultant as the tide recedes, and incoherently despondent when it flows, is a type of sanitary legislators and legislation in the present day."

AMONG the new remedies recently introduced, is an emetic preparation, of which report says a dose was given to a boy who had swallowed a silver dollar, with the effect of bringing up the money in small change, mostly half-dimes.—Pacific Medical Journal.

SAYS the New York Graphic: "In the Eclectic Convention of Physicians, in session at Chicago the other day, a learned M. D. read a paper in which he referred to the damage done by 'vegetable cells somewhat elongated.' If he meant cucumbers, he's right. There is no meaner elongated vegetable sell than they." Howe is this, brethren?

TIT FOR TAT.-The Law Journal, of Albany, N. Y., tells of a medical practitioner of that city who circulates postalcards addressed to any gentleman of sufficient eminence to attract his notice, offering to cure them of fits, epilepsy, etc., closing with the assurance of perfect confidence. Imagine his disgust at receiving from a witty lawyer this response, also written on a postal-card: "Dear Sir: I offer you my services to defend you on your trial for murder, arson, robbery, larceny, malpractice, criminal abortion, indecent assault, body-snatching and obscene communications. I can secure, if not your acquittal, at least the mitigation of punishment every time. N. B.-This postal-card is strictly confidential."

THE

Chicago Medical Times.

WILSON H. DAVIS, M. D.,

Editor and Publisher.

VOL. XII. CHICAGO, AUGUST, 1880.

[XVII.]

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

No. 5.

PHOSPHATES-THE ANALYSIS OF URINE

CONTINUED.

BY W. K. HARRISON, M. D.

Phosphorus does not occur free in nature. It wants oxygen so much that it is always found in some form of combination with it, and when, by artificial means, it is torn away from oxygen, phosphorus must be excluded from the air, to prevent recombination. Although phosphorus never occurs free, it forms a part of very many substances, both inorganic and organic. The most abundant of its compounds is calcium phosphate, known as phosphate of lime, or the mineral apatite. This forms a large part of the earth's rocky crust, and is a constituent of most soils.

The phosphorus of the soil is taken up by growing plants, in which it enters into new combinations, and is consumed by herbivorous animals. Man obtains his supply from both the animal and the vegetable world. Says a recent writer: * "In the animal world, phosphorus is found alike in the most highly organized and in that structureless microscopic speck

*Vaughan's Chemical Physiology and Pathology, page 204.

'A

which seems to be but little removed from inorganic nature. In the higher animals, phosphorus is present as an essential constituent of bone, blood, muscle and brain, and is a necessary attendant of all physical and mental activity. The white corpuscle, that mysterious amoeba of the blood, contains phosphorus as an as an essential ingredient. Muscular and mental activity increase the consumption of this element. Indeed, its relations to the quality and quantity of brain work have been so marked that some one has asserted that, A man with too little phosphorus in his brain is an imbecile, and one with too much, a maniac,

6

Phosphorus, in some form, being a component of nearly all the structures and tissues of the body, we should naturally exor more of the excretions. It is found to be a constituent of normal urine, and is of pathological import only when excessive or deficient in quantity.

pect to find it in some one, or more of th

The phosphorus of the urine is always found linked by oxygen to some one or more of the four elements, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium.

Calcium and magnesium are often called alkaline earths, and therefore the phosphates of these elements are commonly named the earthy phosphates. The phosphates of potassium and sodium, on the other hand, are ordinarily known as the alkaline phosphates. Both groups exist in normal urine, but the alkaline phosphates are excreted in greater quantity, because the alkaline bases, sodium and potassium, are much more abundant in our food than the earthy bases, calcium and magnesium. I 1 941 10 pm: to atsdrzoily es, awend

The two groups may be distinguished from each other by the fact that the earthy phosphates are insoluble in water, but soluble in acids; they are held in solution in acid urine, and are precipitable from it by alkalies. The alkaline phosphates are soluble in water, and not precipitated from solution by alkalies.999 #272 how old yov out bune las

DETECTION AND APPROXIMATE ESTIMATION OF EARTHY PHOSTOK 9TH m Temat

PHATES..

The presence of the earthy phosphates in urine is readily shown by the addition of any alkali, such as aqua am

monia or caustic potash. For an approximate estimate of their quantity, Hoffman's method is, perhaps, the simplest. A test-tube, sixteen centimeters (about 6 inches) long and two centimeters (about of an inch) wide, is filled one-third with clear or filtered urine, to which a few drops of ammonia or solution of caustic potash is added, and warmed gently over a spirit lamp until the earthy phosphates begin to separate in flakes. It is then placed aside for ten or fifteen minutes, to allow the flakes to settle. If the layer of sediment is one centimeter (about of an inch) thick, the earthy phosphates are present in normal amount; if they occupy two or three centimeters (about to 1 and 2 inches), they are increased; if, on the other hand, only a few flakes are visible, the earthy phosphates are diminished.

In normal urine, the precipitate of earthy phosphates is white, but, if the urine contains abnormal coloring matters, such as blood, bile, etc., the precipitate will be variously colored. It is important to remember that a spontaneous deposit of earthy phosphates takes place in alkaline urine, and such deposit must not be mistaken for an excess. It frequently happens that heat alone will cause a deposit of earthy phosphates, and such deposit is a source of error in testing for albumen.

The alkaline phosphates, i. e., phosphates of sodium and potassium, are soluble in water, and not precipitated by alkalies. They are almost wholly made up of the acid phosphate of sodium, which Liebig believed to be the cause of the acid reaction of the urine."

*

APPROXIMATE ESTIMATION OF ALKALINE PHOSPHATES. "Accurately to estimate the alkaline phosphates, it would be necessary, first, to remove the earthy phosphates, which may be easily done by precipitating them with ammonia and filtering. For approximate estimation, however, this is unnecessary, since they are present in comparatively small quantity, and do not vary much in disease. Practically, therefore, they

*Practical Examination of Urine. Tyson. Page 108.