Works of the Cavendish Society Volume 22 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1851 Excerpt: ...303. t Jouin. f. pr. Ch. 1M. II, 8. 149, That the urea is formed from nitrogenous matters could not be doubted, even if it did not contain nitrogen (and that in so large a quantity); for it is especially after the use of highly nitrogenous food that we find an augmentation of its quantity in the urine. If, however, we should further inquire--from what substances is it produced, and what tissues principally contribute to its formation? we could not, in the present state of our knowledge, give any satisfactory answers to these questions. All that we know is, that urea is a very general product of the decomposition of nitrogenous matters, both naturally within the animal body, and artificially in the laboratory of the chemist. We have already said enough to show that urea is so common a product of the decomposition of nitrogenous bodies, that we could hardly any longer enumerate it among true organic substances, if we tried to establish a distinction between organic and inorganic matter. Moreover, when we treat of uric acid we shall show that, in all probability, a great part of the urea separated by the kidneys from the blood is the product of the decomposition of that acid. What is the importance of urea in the fluids of the eye, and whether it has any importance, are questions which, at present, cannot be answered. Ann. d. Ch. u. Pharm. Bd. 65, S. 337-8. Chemical Relations. Properties.--This body, which has also been named uric oxide and wrous acid, occurs, when freshly precipitated, as a white powder, which, is neither crystalline nor gelatinous; when dried, it forms pale, yellowish, hard masses, which, on being rubbed, assume a waxy brightness: it is very slightly soluble in water, is insoluble in alcohol and ether, has no action on vegetable colours, and...