18 April 2012

What is Heat & H. No. 3?

This is part of a death certificate for Nelson Butler who died on 26 December 1925 in Seattle, Washington.

It's typed, so reading the writing is not a problem, but I am wondering what the test is that confirmed diagnosis (Heat & H. No. 3). I realize that this really isn't a genealogical necessity, but my curiosity is piqued.

The whole certificate appears below for anyone who needs to see the entire thing.

7 comments:

Grandma Cantrell said...

Nephritis is kidney infection, often leading to kidney failure.

Apparently HNO3 is a urine test of some sort. This is in Wikipedia:
"The measurements of the urease residual activity have been carried out in Tris-HNO3 buffer after preincubation in model metal-salt solution."

I know nothing about medicine, but it would appear that the urinalysis done confirmed the kidney disease.

Maybe a doctor or nurse can clarify.

Anonymous said...

This may not be the answer, but HNO3 is Nitric Acid.

Anonymous said...

"H.No.3" could, I suppose, be HNO3 i.e. Nitric Acid.... When I googled Nephritis Nitric-Acid, I got a few hits that paired the two, and mention of nitric acid as a test for albumin. Hmm, sound like you need a medical professional to comment!

Claire
[not a medical professional]

Anonymous said...

Then googling for "heat and nitric acid" did bring up some mentions of that test, e.g. at http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/ellingwood1/chronic-pare-nephritis.html

Claire

Linda Herrick Swisher said...

It could be HNO3, which is nitric acid. My old medical dictionary says it is an extremely caustic and escharotic liquid, decomposing most organic substances. It is used internally as a hepatic and stomachic stimulant.Here is a link to a 1907 article on albuminuria, which is linked to nephritis. A number of diagnostic tests are listed, but the first, the Boiling Test, sounds like it might match your certificate. http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/thomas/albuminuria.html

Bubba said...

Thanks guys!

I wasn't expecting to get that much of a science lesson from a death certificate.

Anonymous said...

Heat is applied to Nitic acid- can be used to look for arsenic poisoning as well.