THE EXCRETION OF ORGANIC ACIDS AFTER PNEUMONIA

In this paper, it will be shown that large quantities of organic acid are excreted in the urine after the crisis in pneumonia. The patients studied ranged in age from 16 months to 14 years. Eight were typical lobar pneumonia patients; two had bronchopneumonia following influenza. The total quantity of urine in twelve hours was collected, preserved with toluene and kept on ice until analyzed. Analytic methods were: ( a ) determination of total organic acids by the method of van Slyke and Palmer, 1 and ( b ) the determination of ether soluble acids by the following method: Two cubic centimeters of urine was placed in a test tube; 1 gm. of solid ammonium sulphate and 1 drop of concentrated sulphuric acid were added. The ether soluble acids were removed in the continuous ether extractor recently described. 2 Occasionally emulsions formed, and the results of analysis were liable to be too high. No result was