Toxic AND ANTITOXIC EFFECTS OF IONS 725 



By the addition of MgSO 4 the toxic effects of MgCl 2 could 

 not be done away with. But through the addition of large 

 amounts of KC1, NH 4 C1, or small amounts of SrCl 2 this was 

 possible, as also to a slight extent through the addition 

 of Ca(NO 3 ) 2 . The dilution at which a MgCl g solution 

 hinders the development of an embryo is f- 6 m MgCl 2 . 

 Table XVI shows a series of antitoxic experiments. NaCl 

 and LiCl were just as unable to annihilate the toxic effects 

 of the MgCl 2 solution as they were unable to annihilate the 

 poisonous effects of a Ca(NO 3 ) 2 solution. When less than 

 4 c.c. of a {$- SrCl 2 solution was added, not a single egg 

 could develop. 



10. If, in these experiments, only the kations have an 

 antitoxic effect, and this the greater, the greater their elec- 

 trical charge ; and if in these antitoxic effects we are dealing 

 only with electrical effects, then it is to be logically expected 

 that the toxic effects which are inhibited in these cases are 

 also electrical effects, and indeed the effects of the negative 

 electrons. If the antitoxic ions are the strongly charged 

 positive ions, then the toxic ions in the sodium-chloride solu- 

 tion must be the Cl ions. But in a pure sodium-chloride 

 solution we have just as many kations as anions, and in con- 

 sequence just as many positive as negative electrical units. 

 It is therefore not at once intelligible why the negative 

 charges of the chlorine ions should be able to call forth 

 poisonous effects in a sodium -chloride solution. If it is 

 necessary for us to accept the fact that we are here dealing 

 with electrical effects, then we are forced further to conclude 

 that, for some reason or other, the negative charges of the 

 chlorine ions attain a greater activity than the positive 

 charges of the sodium ions. Nernst has pointed out the fact 

 that the metallic ions tend to bind their electrical charges 

 more strongly than the anions, and he brings this into con- 

 nection with the fact that we are acquainted with kathode 



