308 LEO LOEIi. 



soap mixed with gelatine is unable to diffuse through the gelatine. 



The local apposition of the gelatinous mass around the fibrin 

 shreds produces a certain resemblance between the process of 

 clotting and that of crystallization when caused by a crystal in a 

 solution. If we make use of the hypothesis of the action of a 

 ferment, we have to suppose, according to the results obtained 

 by heating the serum, that also in the serum a small quantity of 

 this ferment or pro-ferment is present ; further, that the ferment 

 is partially destroyed by heating it up to 46-47 C. and that it 

 is almost entirely destroyed by heating it up to 50-5 [ C. There 

 is a quantitative relation present, the coagulation taking place the 

 moi-e rapidly the more fibrin is added to the serum. Although 

 absolute alcohol is used to obtain mammalian fibrin ferment, and 

 also, according to Halliburton, that of arthropods, in these ex- 

 periments absolute alcohol destroyed efficiency of arthropod 

 fibrin ferment in a very short time. 



We saw that different kinds of cells and cell products of the 

 same species of animals had the same accelerating effect on coag- 

 ulation, that however the corresponding cells of other animals 

 were without effect. The lack of specificity in the one case com- 

 bined with the specificity with regard to the species of animals 

 used, is similar to the specificity and lack of specificity respectively 

 found in the precipitin reactions obtained after the injection of 

 albuminous substances in different animals. 



Delezenne found that contact with the muscle causes a coag- 

 ulation of the blood of birds. If the contact with muscle is 

 avoided, it is possible to keep the blood of birds liquid for a long 

 time, although the white blood corpuscles are still present. Lob- 

 ster blood, however, in contact with the blood corpuscles, does 

 coagulate just as quickly as if in contact with muscle. These 

 observations, notwithstanding the presence of some minor differ- 

 ences, seem to point out that in these phenomena we have to 

 deal with facts of a general significance. 



III. THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE FIRST COAGULATION 



CAN BE INHIBITED OR ENTIRELY PREVENTED. 

 The conditions under which the first coagulation can be pre- 

 vented are different from those described above for the second 



