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PLATE XIII.

SPERMATOZOA.

Spermatozoa are readily recognized by their microscopical characters. They soon become disintegrated if allowed to remain long in the Urine. The secretion suspected to contain them, should therefore be submitted to examination as soon as possible after it has been passed.

Spermatozoa form a flocculent deposit in Urine, but oftentimes they are collected in the form of separate mucous-like masses. They can be distinguished with a quarter with care; but in looking for them, the field should be but slightly illuminated, for they may be very easily passed over if examined by a bright light.

Spermatozoa are not unusually found in the Urine of men in perfect health; and it is only when very frequently met with, and in cases where their discharge is associated with serious impairment of the health, that their presence can be regarded as affording any indication for the active interference of the physician.

The transparent cylindrical structures, delineated in fig. 2, are very often found in the Urine of persons suffering from irritability about the neck of the bladder, and from the frequent discharge of spermatozoa. They are very transparent, often slightly granular, and of very considerable length. They vary slightly in diameter, and form a flocculent deposit in the Urine. The figure representing them is too dark and too rough.

*

*The nature of these bodies will be considered in my lectures on the Urine, Urinary deposits, and calculi.

PLATE XIII.

SPERMATOZOA.-CASTS OF SEMINAL TUBULES.

Fig. 1.-Spermatozoa from Urine.

Fig. 2.-Long narrow threads of a viscid material, often associated with the presence of spermatozoa,-from the Urine of a case of slight irritability of the bladder, with occasional discharge of seminal fluid. These are probably moulds of the seminal tubules.

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PLATE XIV.

CASTS OF THE URINIFEROUS TUBES.

Deposits consisting of casts of the Uriniferous tubes have a flocculent character, usually occupy considerable bulk, and vary from a pale opalescent appearance to a dirty brown colour.

The Urine usually contains albumen, but very rarely specimens are met with containing casts, in which not a trace of albumen can be detected.

Diameter.-Casts vary very much in diameter, according to the state of the Uriniferous tube at the time of their formation. (Tables for the examination of Urine, § 28, page 17.) All the figures in plate XIV are magnified 215 diameters, and may therefore be compared with each other.

Contents of the casts.-The structures entangled in the coagulable material of which the casts are composed, varies according to the character of the contents of the uriniferous tube. Casts containing epithelial cells are common in cases of acute dropsy, and dropsy after scarlatina (fig. 1). The Urine in which they are found usually contains very much albumen. In fatty degeneration of the kidney, the casts contain epithelial cells, with much oil in their interior, and separate oil globules (fig. 2). In cases of chronic inflammation of the kidney, the epithelium is disintegrated, and the casts contain granules with very few cells of epithelium, or the latter are entirely absent (fig. 3). In Urine containing abundance of urates, these are sometimes deposited in the casts in very large quantity, giving them a very dark but granular appearance (fig. 4). In some cases where the epithelium of the kidney is destroyed, and the basement membrane of the tubes bare, the casts are of very considerable diameter (fig. 5); and, on the other hand, in cases where the epithelium is abnormally adherent, the casts are perfectly clear and transparent, but of very small diameter (fig. 6).

For a full discussion of the nature of the diseases in which casts are found, I must refer the reader to Dr. Johnson's well-known work on "Diseases of the Kidney."

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