Mr. Cetti, of 36 Brooke street, Holborn, is recommended, who will also
furnish full particulars of the test.


ALBUMEN.

Normal urine is free from coagulable proteids, though it is admitted
that albumen may sometimes occur in the absence of disease. It is
always highly important, therefore, to determine accurately the
presence or absence of this body. In the relentless malady named after
Richard Bright, the urine always contains albumen, and if accompanied
by the "casts" of the uriniferous tubules your report may amount to a
sentence of certain death. The tests which we now describe are
accurate and easily applied; but reliance should never be placed on
any single reaction--at any rate until the operator has acquired
considerable experience.

Galippe's _picric acid test_ has within the last few years attracted
much attention, chiefly through the commendation it has received from
Dr. George Johnson. A saturated solution is prepared by dissolving 140
grains of recrystallized picric acid (carbazotic acid, or, more
correctly, trinitrophenol) in 1 pint of water with heat, and decanting
the clear solution. Some of the urine is rendered perfectly bright by
filtration--repeated, if necessary--through good filtering paper, and
to this an equal volume of the picric acid solution is added. In the
presence of albumen a more or less distinct haze is produced, which on
heating to the boiling point is rather intensified than otherwise.
Peptones, if present, yield a similar haze, and quinine or other
alkaloid a more or less crystalline precipitate; but in both these
cases the opalescence is completely dissipated by heat. Mucin, an