Indicanuria is the presence in the urine of a perceptible quantity, more than a mere trace, of the indoxyl sulphate of potassium, of which the chemical formula is C8H6NKSO4. It is derived from anaerobic bacterial putrefaction of proteids.
Indol is first produced, and, at the time of absorption, is converted into a soluble indoxyl, which, in the juices of the body, unites with a base, usually potassium, and is excreted in the urine as indoxyl sulphate of potassium. Normally, from 5 mg. to 20 mg. of this substance are excreted daily; abnormally, from 50 mg. to 150 mg.
Numerous tests, most of which I have examined, have been offered for the determination of the presence of indican. The solution of the neutral or basic subacetate of lead, commonly employed to clear the urine, is