How is the work of the kidneys done and can it be measured?

-
Kidney Work

Q. How is the work of the kidneys done and can it be measured?

A. The work of the kidneys is done by small secreting or excreting units consisting of a minute cell or bladder-like expansion with a long micro­scopic tube connected with it. Each of these bladders contains a minutely coiled blood vessel from which it extracts the waste products which form the urine. There are three million of these urine makers, each with a tube an inch long. The combined length of these tubes in a single kidney is more than twenty-three miles. In a life time of 60 years each little urine factory makes about one-third of an ounce of urine or 350 drops, that is, one drop every two months.
In old age the urine factories diminish in effi­ciency and some are destroyed. When more than two-thirds are lost, poisons accumulate in the blood and life is extinguished.

By means of several delicate tests recently de­ vised it is now possible to determine very accurately the degree to which the efficiency of the kidneys is lessened. Persons who are constipated, smokers, drinkers, tea and coffee users, lose their kidney efficiency very early.

Popular posts from this blog

Is chronic catarrh of the larynx curable?

-
Chronic Laryngitis Q. Is chronic catarrh of the larynx curable? A. In most cases this disease may be cured, even when of long standing, except in cases in which the inflammation is due to tubercular infection. Many of these cases are also curable if taken in time. A skilled specialist must be consulted.
Read more

Of what use are the tonsils and should they be removed?

-
The Tonsils Q. Of what use are the tonsils and should they be removed? A. The tonsils are lymphatic glands. Their function is to protect the body against the great number of microbes which collect in the mouth. They are also connected with the functions which promote the growth and development of the body. Diseased tonsils are a constant menace to the body, proving an open door for the entrance of harmful organisms. Tuberculosis germs and other disease-producing bacteria often find their way into the body through the open portal pro­vided by diseased tonsils. The tonsils harbor disease germs, such as pneumonia and diptheria, also the germ of influenza or la grippe. These germs are lying there ready to develop whenever the vital resistance is lowered by cold, exhaus­tion, indigestion, or any other depressing cause. Diseased tonsils are often a cause of rheumatism and probably other serious maladies. Tonsils which frequently become raw or in­ flamed or which are constant...
Read more