On hæmatoporphyrin as a urinary pigment in disease / by Archibald E. Garrod.

  • Garrod, Archibald E. (Archibald Edward), Sir, 1857-1936.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On hæmatoporphyrin as a urinary pigment in disease / by Archibald E. Garrod. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    ON H^MATOPORPHYRIN AS A URINARY PIGMENT IN DISEASE. By Archibald E. Gakrod, MA., M.D. (Oxon.), F.KC.P. The occurrence of h^matoporphyrin or of closely allied pigments in the urine, which has been conclusively established by the researches of MacMunn, Neusser, Salkowski, Hammarsten, and other observers, is a phenomenon of great interest, and one to which we may reasonably look to throw important hght upon the processes concerned either in the buildmg up or destruction of the colouring matter of the blood. The study of the occurrence of the pigment in the urine of sufferers from various diseases is one of the paths by which this end may be approached ; and the present paper, which embodies the results of the examuiation of the urine of two hundred individuals, is intended to serve as a contribution to our knowledge of this portion of the subject. The observations bearing upon the chemical and spectroscopic char- acter of the heematoporphyrin found ha the cases included in this series, have been already described at considerable length elsewhere. ^ I therefore propose to give in this place only such a brief r^sumd of the conclusions arrived at, as constitutes a necessary mtroduction to the discussion of the pathological aspects of the question. Ha^matoporphyrin is an extremely common constituent of the urine, but the amount present is, as a ride, extremely minute. Traces of the pigment, which cannot be detected by precipitation with the neutral and tribasic acetates of lead or with barium chloride and hydrate, according to the processes described by MacMunn and Salkowski respectively, may be found by the addition to the urine of an excess of a 10 per cent, solution of sodium or potassium hydrate, when any htematoporphyrin that is present will cling to the precipitate of earthy phosphates which is thrown down, just as hasmatm does ui Heller's well-known test for blood pigment. The precipitate is collected upon a filter, and thoroughly washed with distilled water, and afterwards treated with a small quantity of alcohol acidulated with sidphuric acid,