The morbid effects of the retention in the blood of the elements of the urinary secretion / by William Wallace Morland.

Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The morbid effects of the retention in the blood of the elements of the urinary secretion / by William Wallace Morland. 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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    “ element of the urinary secretion” we have been considering, prevented as it is in such cases from obtaining an exit through its natural excretory channels ? Creatine and Creatinine.—Formulae: Creatine, C3HgN304+2 Aq. —Creatinine, C8H7N302.—1 Creatine.—This substance, discovered by Chevreul, in 1835, is crystal- lizable, and is derived from the juice of flesh. It is stated to be “ present in the blood and urine of man and of all animals hitherto examined.” (Thudichum, op. cit.) Both this substance and creatinine, in the form of chloride-of-ziuc salt, were found in the urine by Heintz and Pettenkofer, simultaneously, in 1844 ; but these chemists did not then recognize their identity with the above-mentioned product of the juice of flesh. Liebig, in 1847, demonstrated both creatine and creatinine to be “constant ingredi- ents of the juices of the flesh of nearly all the classes of vertebrate auimals, and of the urine of man.” {Idem.) Although now a recognized element of the urine, creatine is contained therein in an exceedingly minute proportion. It is always present in the blood, which is a fact important to note in respect to our present inquiry ; for, if naturally existing in the vital fluid as a product of a chemical muscular change or waste, it is doubtless innocuous so long as it is finally 1 Thudichum. Chemical Composition of Creatine and Creatinine. Creatine: 8 equivalents of carbon 48 36.64 3 “ “ nitrogen . 42 32.06 9 “ « hydrogen . 9 6.87 4 “ “ oxygen 32 24.43 Atomic weight of dry creatine 131 100.00 To procure the formula for “crystallized creatine,” Take, 1 atom of dry creatine 131 87.92 and 2 atoms of water .... 18 12.08 149 100.00 CWN3,H9,04,+2H0=131+18=149. Thudichum. G. Bird. CfidLpNjjOg. G. Johnson. Creatinine: 8 equivalents of carbon 48 42.48 7 “ “ hydrogen . 7 6.19 3 “ “ nitrogen . • . 42 37.17 2 “ “ oxygen 16 14.16 Atomic weight of creatinine 113 100.00 —113. Thudichum. G. Bird. G. Johnson. The formula expresses “crystallized” creatinine.