THE THERAPY of infants with disturbances in fluid balance is greatly assisted by knowledge of the specific gravity of the urine. Frequently only a few milliliters can be collected at any one time, while a minimum sample of 25 ml is necessary for use of the smallest urinometers currently available. The existing methods of determining specific gravity of one drop of urine are somewhat laborious, and require expensive equipment and the services of a relatively skilled technician.
The present report describes a method which is rapid and simple and requires only a few drops of urine in its use. It is similar in principle to the determination of specific gravity of blood by the copper-sulfate method. For use with urine, mixtures are employed of two relatively nonvolatile liquids, immiscible with water, and with specific gravities nearly equally above and below the range in urine. The specific gravity of urine is determined by allowing one drop to fall into each of a series of tubes containing a mixture of the two liqquids made up to various specific gravities ranging from 1.005 to 1.030 (Fig. 1). That mixture in which the drop of urine comes most nearly to remaining still (neither rising nor falling after coming to rest) approximates the specific gravity of the urine. The total sample needed is only a few drops, which can be quite small if a dropper with a small opening (2 mm) is used. The determination takes a few minutes. A year's supply of the mixtures can be made in one afternoon and costs less than $6.00.
MATERIALS
The two solutions used were selected from the flotation method of Kirk, using a density gradient system. These are Liquid 1, dibutyl-n-phthalate (Eastman), specific gravity 1.04820°; and Liquid 2, kerosene, specific gravity 0.8220°. (Similar results were obtained by substituting California mineral oil, specific gravity 0.842-0.88420°, for kerosene.)
Lyon Natural Radiocarbon Measurements VIII
