On the pathology and treatment of albuminuria / by William H. Dickinson.

Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the pathology and treatment of albuminuria / by William H. Dickinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    upon as normal. The convoluted tube in its ideal perfection renal dis- displays a regular arrangement of epithelial cells around a central cavity. The cells themselves are smooth and trans- lucent, with a nucleus clearly visible through a transparent envelope. Such tubes and cells are but seldom exposed to view in the human subject. The disguising power of death is quickly shown upon their delicate structure. The cells rapidly become granular. They crumble and CeUs, gran- disintegrate, the outer portion breaking away from the nu- ular , - - - or disin- cleus. They separate from the basement membrane of the tegrated. tube, and fill the cavity with uniform packing, in which the outlines of cells and nuclei may be recognisable, or may have ^^^^ structed altogether disappeared in a granular debris. Besides such alterations in texture, the cells often derive a Cells • yellowish-brown tint from an unnaturally fluid state of blood, ^l?!'^ _ witn In the twelve cases in which this discolouration of the blood, epithelium was found the blood was thus altered in nine. Blood in this state stains not only the surfaces in contact with it, but the epithelial cells all over the body. It is difficult to say whether the action takes place after death or before. The renal epithelium sometimes receives a bright yellow Or bile, colour from bile; this may occur whenever from any cause jaundice is present. Some cells are usually intensely affected, while others completely escape. This change, of course, takes place during life, and is the result of a vicarious secretion on the part of the kidney. Next to a loss of smoothness and transparency, a deposit of Fatty oil between the cell wall and the nucleus is the most frequent ^^''Se in change to which the renal epithelium is liable. It is in all no proof cases the residt of vital change, not the effect of decomposition after death. After the fatal termination of chronic disease oil is very often present in the renal epithelium, particularly when the disorder has been tuberculous. After acute disease the rule is to find the cells free from oil. In thirty-eight cases in which death had been caused by acute disease or accident, the renal epithelium was found to be fatty in nine. In thirty cases of chronic disease the same change was