Effect of exercise on the dissociation curve of blood 237 



some feathers for the whipping, and a small stoppered test tube in 

 which to put the whipped blood. At the top of the ascent I obtained 

 a sample of alveolar air which proved to have a partial pressure of 

 35 mm. of CO 2 as opposed to 40 mm. at the sea level, also a sample of 

 my blood for analysis. The analysis was two-fold firstly the blood 

 was exposed to 17mm. oxygen pressure in the absence of CO 2 for the 

 purpose of determining by Mathison's method* the degree of acidosis, 

 if any. The blood at 17 mm. was, as the result of two determinations, 

 54 % and 57 % saturated with oxygen, whilst before the climb it was 



.-.,. 



' - ~ 



FIG. 112. Carlingt'ord, showing the climb of 1000 feet. 



75 / . The difference corresponds to an added amount of acid which 

 is equivalent to '023 / lactic acid. 



Against this however the amount of CO 2 in the alveolar air 

 and presumably in arterial blood went down from 40 mm. to 35 mm. 

 The question at once arose, did this fall in CO 2 compensate for 

 the increase in other acids? In other words, was the actual blood 

 in the body pleonectic, mesectic, or meionectic? The answer of 

 course could only be found out by experiment. This experiment 

 formed the second part of the analysis. The blood taken at the end 

 of the ascent was exposed to oxygen pressures in the presence of CO 2 



* See p. 257. 



