238 E. G. SPAULDING. 



more, as an illustration of the lack of a consistent theory here, 

 are the views of Loeb, that the antitoxic as well as toxic effect is 

 a function of specific kations, and of others that where the kations 

 are toxic the anions are antitoxic. For instance, in 100 c.c. 

 f NaCl + 8 c.c. -^n CaSO 4 or Ca(NO 3 ) 2 70 per cent, of Fnn- 

 ditlns eggs develop, while if Na.,SO., be substituted they do not. 

 Ca is therefore considered to be antitoxic to Na. A1.,C1. { and 

 Cr (SO 4 ) 3 also have the same inhibitory effect on Na, but in 

 smaller quantities. Loeb therefore concludes that the toxic and 

 antitoxic effect of the ions is a function of their valence, but that 

 only kations are poisonous. The necessity for such " balanced" 

 solutions also holds good according to Loeb for muscle and for 

 the contractions of Gonionemus ; " margin and center must con- 

 tain three ions, Na, K and Ca." 1 



The opposite view is that in the instance of, c. g. y NaCl poison- 

 ing but KC1 not, the difference in effect is due to a greater over- 

 balancing by the Cl ion in one case than in the other. 2 The effect 

 is due in any case to both the ions. Both may be either toxic or 

 antitoxic according as the colloid is like or unlike in charge and 

 the normal event is one of gelation or of liquefaction. 



Accordingly if the normal progress of cleavage in Arbacia de- 

 mands liquefaction, /. e., increased pressure and absorption of 

 water, any salt either preventing this by unlike charges or aug- 

 menting it by like beyond a certain point may be assumed to 

 interfere with or inhibit division. And from the data at hand we 

 may expect NaCl to do this to a less degree than KC1. 



Experiment IV., 7 pts., |H KC1 sol. to 2 of sea water, the 

 other conditions as in III., gave exactly tJic same results, and is 

 tabulated on the next page. 



Examination of this record makes manifest a decrease in im- 

 munity beginning I 5 minutes before cleavage, much as with HC1, 

 but reaching its maximum during segmentation. The same ex- 

 planation of this effect that was made for HC1 and ether holds 

 good, we believe, here ; but the thirty-minute fall obtained with 

 HC1 is not present in these series, which indicates a different spe- 

 cific chemical effect of H and of K ions. Two subsequent KC1 

 experiments confirmed these results. 



1 Am. Jour, of Physiology., III., VII. 



2 Mathe\vs, Science, March 28, 1902, and May 8, 1903. 



