Essential pentosuria / by Solomon Solis Cohen. The chemical examination of a sample of urine containing pentose / by Charles H. La Wall.

  • Solis-Cohen, Solomon, 1857-1948.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Essential pentosuria / by Solomon Solis Cohen. The chemical examination of a sample of urine containing pentose / by Charles H. La Wall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    confirm the observation; but I know the observer to be accurate. This would seem to indicate some transient complicating excretion of a fermentable sugar [and, since the paper was read, a small quantity of hexose has again been found, as set forth in the footnote]. There is no instance on record of the transformation of pento- suria into diabetes, yet while knowledge remains so limited, care is necessary. I therefore thought it well to test dextrose assimila- tion more particularly. For this purpose I gave the patient, by the mouth, on each of two successive days, 100 grams of the glucose of pharmacy, in two portions; and with Mr. La Wall examined the total urine of the forty-eight hours. In this there was no trace of any excreted hexose, but pentose was found as before. No excess of indican has been found in the pentose-containing urine, although this was occasionally present before the pentosuria was discovered. The excretion of urea continues around 3 per cent. The chlorides in the late specimen were 0.94 per cent., or about 15.46 grams. The phosphates, estimated as P2Os, were 0.3 per cent., or 4.8 grams, a slight increase over the normal average. The total sulphates, being 0.31 per cent., or 5 grams, of which 0.3 per cent, represents preformed salts, show also a slight increase; while the rather low ratio of conjugate to fixed sulphates, 1 to 30, especially when taken in connection with the low indican content, would show a relative absence of intestinal decomposition. Bacterial study of the feces is therefore desirable, for a question is raised as to the possibility of absence or partial destruction of intestinal bacteria as a factor in the production of the pentosuria. Whether or not this study can be carried out, I do not know, but it calls for attention. The salol test does not indicate any failure of the secretion that splits this drug. I have not specially experimented with the feeding of sucrose, levulose, lactose, etc., or with any pure pentose; but hope to have the opportunity to make these and other observations from time to time, as the patient finds opportunity to visit Philadelphia, or we succeed in enlisting expert chemical assistance in his own city.0 The diagnosis of essential pentosuria is established by the per- sistence of the pentose excretion and by the absence of other symp- toms. The chief importance of this condition at present, apart from the 6 Our patient, however, informs me that I have ‘ ‘overestimated his zeal for scientific research.” He consented, nevertheless, to visit Berlin while in Europe this summer, and to see Dr. Jastrowitz, who writes as follows: “Both Professor Salkowski and I, can, from careful studies, entirely independent of one another, confirm your diagnosis of pentosuria. The first time that the patient brought his urine to me, I found, in addition to pentose, ^ per cent, of hexose, but although I had the urine of various periods brought to me later, as well as the entire twenty-four hours’ quantity after diets rich in carbohydrates, I could not find any increase of hexose, but, on the contrary, only occasional traces of it; nor did the pentose seem to be notably increased after he had eaten many cherries (kirsohen).”