Physiology and pathology of the urine : with methods for its examination / by J. Dixon Mann.

  • Mann, J. Dixon (John Dixon), 1840-1912.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Physiology and pathology of the urine : with methods for its examination / by J. Dixon Mann. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/348 (page 5)
    The odour of healthy urine is characteristic ; that of concentrated urine may be very intense and objectionable even to the patient, whilst in polyuria it is scarcely perceptible. When urine, either in or out of the bladder, is undergoing decomposition it yields an ammoniacal odour; with more advanced decomposition the odour may be putrescent. The presence of a fistulous communication between the rectum and the bladder may cause the recent urine to smell of sulphuretted hydrogen. The presence of acetone may impart the odour of that substance to the urine. Adventitious odours may be produced by the administration of certain drugs and articles of food : turpentine produces a violet-like odour ; some drugs? such as copaiba and peppermint, impart their intrinsic odours to the urine; asparagus and garlic cause it to have a very offensive odour. The specific gravity of urine. For clinical purposes this is ascer- tained by means of an instrument called a urinometer. As usually constructed the instrument is defective; the scale is limited to one side of the stem and is too contracted, rendering an accurate reading difficult; the difficulty is increased by the cylindrical form of the instrument which allows it to rotate when plunged into the urine. A better form of urinometer is made with a flattened body and stem, and a wider scale, which is graduated on both sides of the stem.1 To take the specific gravity, a cylindrical urine-glass is filled to within an inch from the top with urine that has cooled to the temperature of the surrounding air, the urine being gently poured into the glass so as to avoid the formation of froth ; the urinometer is then plunged into the urine, and the division on the scale which corresponds to the surface-level is read off; this represents the specific gravity of urine in relation to that of pure water. 'The division on a level with the surface of the urine is taken, and not that at the summit of the curve formed by the urine a little way up the stem of the urinometer. To make sure of the reading, it is well to depress the instrument below its floating-point and to take a second reading after it has resumed its position. If greater accuracy is required than the urinometer can afl’ord, a Westphal’s specific gravity balance should be used. When the temperature of the urine is materially above 6o° F., one degree should be added to the reading obtained for every 8° F. above 6o°. In health the specific gravity of urine usually ranges between 1012 and 1020 ; if large amounts of liquid are drank, the gravity may be as low as 1005 ; in hot weather when the urine is concentrated it may reach 1030 or more. In some diseases the gravity may be very low ; in diabetes insipidus it may not exceed 1002, or even 1001 ; in 1 May bo obtained from Mottershead and Co., Manchester.