A Simple Method for Detecting and Estimating Indican in the Urine by Means of the Cotton-Wool Plug Test

Indican is derived from indol, and unlike the other ethereal sulphates which are derived in part from metabolism, originates practically wholly from putrefactive processes. It, alone, therefore, and not the total ethereal sulphates, has been taken as an index of such putrefaction (1). The determination of indican depends upon its decomposition and oxidation of the liberated indoxyl into indigo-blue ; and of the methods based on this principle, Obermeyer's test is in general use. This test is carried out by mixing an aliquot portion of urine with an equal volume of Obermeyer's reagent,f and shaking the mixture with a few c.c. of chloroform