CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 28, 49-56, Copyright
© 1978 by American Cancer Society
On a New Substance Occuring in the Urine of a Patient With Mollities Ossium
[SEE TABLE 1 IN SOURCE PDF.] Hence it is an oxide of albumen, and from the ultimate analysis, it is the hydrated deutoxide of albumen.
Second. In the above case of mollities ossium, 66.97 parts of this hydrated deutoxide of albumen were passing out of the body in every 1000 parts of the urine. Hence, therefore, there was as much of this peculiar albuminous substance in the urine as there is ordinary albumen in healthy blood. So far, then, as the albumen alone is concerned, each ounce of urine passed was equivalent to an ounce of blood lost.
Third. The peculiar characteristic of this hydrated deutoxide of albumen was its solubility in boiling water, and the precipitate with nitric acid being dissolved by heat and reformed when cold. By this reaction a similar substance in small quantity may be detected in pus and in the secretion from the vesiculae seminales.
Fourth. This substance must again be looked for in acute cases of mollities ossium. The reddening of the urine on the addition of nitric acid might perhaps lead to the rediscovery of it; when found, the presence of chlorine in the urine, of which there was a suspicion in the above case, should be a special subject of investigation, as it may lead not only to the explanation of the formation of this substance, but to the comprehension of the nature of the disease which affects the bones.
Lastly, I am much indebted to Dr. Watson and Dr. Maclntyre for enabling me to follow out this case, and also to Professor Fownes for the use of his laboratory at University College.
