XXXV 



THE TOXIC AND THE ANTITOXIC EFFECTS OF IONS 

 AS A FUNCTION OF THEIR VALENCY AND POS- 

 SIBLY THEIR ELECTRICAL CHARGE 1 



I. INTRODUCTION 



FIVE years ago I published a series of papers on the 

 physiological effects of the electric current which impressed 

 upon me the long-known fact that the galvanic current is the 

 most universal and effective stimulus for life-phenomena. 

 This fact suggested the idea that it should be possible to 

 influence life-phenomena just as universally and effectively 

 by the electrically charged molecules the ions as we can 

 influence them by the electric current. 



My first aim was to find out whether or not it is possible 

 to alter the physiological properties of tissues by artificially 

 changing the proportion of ions contained in these tissues. 

 In this way originated the investigations on the effect of ions 

 upon the absorption of water by muscles, 2 the effects of ions 

 upon the rhythmical contractions of muscles, and Medusae, 3 

 the heart of the turtle, 4 and the lymph hearts 5 of the frog, 

 the role of ions in chemotropic phenomena 6 and the influence 

 of ions upon embryonic development, 7 and the development 



1 American Journal of Physiology, Vol. VI (1902), p. 411. A preliminary report 

 of these experiments appeared in Pflugers Archiv fur die gesammte Pysiologie, 

 Vol. LXXXVIII (1901), p. 68. 



2 Part II, pp. 450, 501, and 510. 



3 Part II, pp. 518, 559, and 692 ; Archiv fur die gesammte Physiologie, Vol. LXXX 

 (1900), p. 229. 



* D. J. LINGLE, American Journal of Physiology, Vol. IV (1900), p. 265. 



5 A. MOORE, ibid., p. 386. 



e W. E. GARRET, ibid.. Vol. Ill (1900), p. 291. 



7 Part II, pp. 559 and 576. 



708 



