MECHANISM OF PROCESS OF DEATH 67 



Since at this time M is formed as rapidly as it is decom- 

 posed, we have 



= M max K% 

 A T = M 



At the start (in sea water) the value of A was 2700, but 

 it has now diminished to a fraction represented by 



/ - - ? I _^_ 2700. We can easily find out how long 



it requires to reach this value, for, as the reaction A > M 

 is monomolecular, we may write 



KiT Af max K t 

 2700 Ki 



Knowing the values of M max, K l and K* we can find 



_ jr m 



the value of T by looking up the value of e~ in 



a table. 40 



In the present instance we have M max = 153.94 

 10 = 143.94 



Hence 



(143.94) 0.0295 ~ 

 (2700) 0.0018 " 



and0.87372 = e- 



We find from the table that 



Whence T = 75 



It should be noted that multiplying K l and K 2 by the 



*E.g., Table IV in the Smithsonian Mathematical Tables, Hyperbolic 

 Functions, by G. F. Becker and C. E. Van Orstrand, 1909. See also 

 Van Orstrand, C. E. (1921). 



