Lanterna Rally

Author: Alexander Haig

Publisher: Theclassics.Us

Published: 2013-09

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 9781230336046

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt: ...And we know that urate of copper is insoluble, as a process for estimating uric acid is founded on the fact. (Arthaud and Butte, British Medical Journal, i., 1890, p. 495.) The parallel, therefore, with lead and mercury is complete. In addition I have mentioned the pain produced by cocaine, and cocaine also diminishes the excretion of uric acid, and acids, nux vomica and sulphates, especially sulphate of soda, occasionally act in the same way and cause some intestinal pain of a similar kind; and exposure to cold, or cold feet in winter, occasionally produce the same result, and all these factors have the same action on uric acid; they diminish its excretion in the urine, clear it out of the blood and drive it into the liver, spleen and fibrous tissues, especially into any fibrous tissues that have had their alkalinity diminished by any previous irritation or inflammation. They produce this effect on uric acid either by forming insoluble compounds with it, as in the case of the metals, or they diminish the solvent powers of the blood by diminishing its alkalinity, and under slightly different conditions any of them may produce gout of a joint, instead of gout of the intestines. No one, I suppose, will deny that there is a large amount of fibrous tissue in the walls of the intestines, and if the fibrous tissues in fascia, tendons and joints are liable to have urates deposited on them when they have had their alkalinity diminished by injury or irritation, I see no reason why the fibrous walls of the intestines should not be affected in exactly the same way. Thus the case just quoted from Sir A. Garrod's book might have a causation somewhat as follows: A gouty man has some more or less acute intestinal irritation (of dyspepsic origin) causing...