Who performed the first quantitative test for urine sugar?

Study for the PMLS History of Medical Technology Test. Explore flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question is accompanied by hints and explanations. Get prepared for your exam!

Quantifying sugar in urine represents an early move to numerical clinical testing. Hermann Fehling developed a quantitative method using Fehling's solution, a copper(II) tartrate reagent that reacts with reducing sugars under alkaline conditions. When urine containing reducing sugars, such as glucose, is heated with this reagent, the copper(II) is reduced to copper(I) oxide, forming a brick-red precipitate. By titrating the sample against a standardized alkaline solution, the amount of reducing sugar—and thus the urine sugar level—can be calculated. This was the first test to provide a numerical measurement of urine sugar, enabling objective assessment of diabetes. The other scientists are known for different breakthroughs: Lister for antiseptic techniques, Pasteur for germ theory and fermentation, and Roentgen for X-rays.