WATER ABSORPTION BY MUSCLES AND SOAPS 517 



While acids at one time increase, at another time decrease 

 the amount of water absorbed by a muscle, depending upon 

 the nature and the concentration of the salt solution in which 

 the muscles are immersed, alkalies increase absorption under 

 all circumstances. Quantitative differences, however, exist 

 between the different alkalies which I am not yet entirely 

 able to explain, even though I have made more experiments 

 with alkalies than with any other group of substances. These 

 experiments have only served to strengthen my previous 

 assertion that we deal in these cases only with the action of 

 the hydroxyl ions. 



