Selected monographs.

Date:: 1888

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Selected monographs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

106/440 (page 90)

A similar description is given by Lassar of the condition of the kidneys in poisoning by petroleum. This author and Kabierske have experimented with injections of indigo-sul- phate of soda, which, when suitable methods are adopted, as Heidenhain has shown, is well known to be excreted only by the epithelium of the urinif erous tubules ; and they were able to convince themselves of the destruction of these cells as a result of the administration of chromic acid and petroleum, and that all the other elements of the tissue remained appa- rently unaffected. Nevertheless, it must be assumed that the mischief is not confined exclusively to those epithelial cells and to the proper secretory apparatus, for, according to Pos- ner, Voorhoeve, and Kabierske, the microscopical examination of kidneys after the administration of chromic acid shows that albumen is deposited not merely in the uriniferous tubules, where it has separated the epithelial detritus from the base- ment membrane, but in the Bowman-Miillei'^s capsules as well. And a similar description is given by Browicz and Voorhoeve in cases of poisoning with cantharidin, but with this addition, that inflammatory changes were also indicated. In this instance, therefore, as in phosphorus-poisoning, it would appear that the albumen is derived partly from the interstitial vascular system and partly from the glomerular vessels, which, together with their epithelial investment, have likewise become affected (though to an extent not perceptible under the microscope), since in these cases there are manifest extravasations of blood in the capsules and uriniferous tubules (77). The conclusion to be drawn from the above statements is that albuminuria occurs with a certain amount of regularity in all forms of degeneration of the epithelium, and especially of that of the convoluted tubules, and likewise that, under the same circumstances, the appearance of peptonuria and of pro- peptonuria takes place, a symptom which, as Lassar has shown, (and as other experiences prove to be not improbable, see page 12), may pass into albuminuria proper, though the presence of these substances is liable to be overlooked when the ordinary methods of investigation are employed. Whether it will hence- forth be regarded as proved that the degeneration of the epithe- lium alone, in the sense in which we have explained it, is or is