HYDROLYSIS OF HIGHER FATS IN EGG-SECRETION. 71 



times through Chardin paper and the remaining infection con- 

 trolled by the addition of chloroform. KCN was not employed 

 because it checks the action of certain lipases. 



With exudates of this type I shook up varying proportions of 

 either olive oil or whale oil and at stated intervals attempted to 

 titrate the systems with NaOH N/4O back to the specific turning 

 points of such indicators as phenolphthalein, neutral red, or litmus. 

 On account of the buffer effects and saponifications due to the salts 

 present in both secretion and sea- water, such titrations, even if 

 otherwise reliable, can not disclose the total acidity. 



But there are other difficulties. Digests of the type here under 

 consideration are almost proverbially mean. In addition, these 

 particular systems in egg-secretion, in the course of an hour or 

 two, underwent serious physical changes. At the beginning of an 

 experiment, oil and secretion, after shaking, would separate 

 promptly, but after standing for the stated times at 20 C. the 

 separation was much less complete. After four hours even mod- 

 erate shaking imparted to the systems a stability almost jelly-like. 



Under these circumstances, even with the addition of neutral 

 alcohol ('03), titration gave highly variable results, and hence 

 nothing in the nature of a curve showing the course of the reaction 

 can be plotted. However, if we take the most reliable titrations 

 i.e., those made upon volumes measured before the physical changes 

 previously referred to had taken place certain very definite com- 

 parisons are possible. 



Series A 40 c.c. secretion 40 c.c. sea-water 



10 c.c. olive oil 10 c.c. olive oil 



After 45 hrs 10 c.c. =2. 7 c.c. NaOH N/^o 10 c.c.= i.g c.c. NaOH AT/4O 



Series B 150 c.c. secretion 150 c.c. sea-water 



25 c.c. olive oil 25 c.c. olive oil 



After 30 min 10 c.c. = 1.5 c.c. NaOH N/^o 10 c.c. .4 c.c. NaOH 



Series C 90 c.c. secretion 90 c.c. sea-water 



25 c.c. olive oil 25 c.c. olive oil 



After 30 min 10 c.c. = 1.8 c.c. NaOH N/^o 10 c.c.= i.3 c.c. NaOH 



These values indicate the number of c.c. of NaOH N/4O neces- 

 sary to return the several systems to PH S , using phenolphthalein as 

 the indicator. The relatively high acidity found in the controls is 

 a disturbing factor, but unavoidable, since oleic acid is never en- 



