38 



SPECIFICITY OF THE BLOOD OF VERTEBRATES 



records of Brandenburg (Zeit. f. klinische Medicin, 1898-99, xxxvi, 280) 

 indicate that the serum has half the alkalinity of the whole blood (blood 330 

 to 370; serum 160 to 190). This gives human blood a lower ratio between 

 serum and clot than in the dog, and higher than in the horse and calf. 

 TABLE 12. Alkaline equivalents of the bloods of different animals. 



NOTE. Consult Vierordt's Anatomische, physiologische u. physikalische Daten u. 

 Tabellen, Jena, 1906, 200, 201, 253, 507, and 525, for records of a large number of in- 

 vestigations with human blood. 



That the erythrocytes play a part in determining the degree of alka- 

 linity is evident in several facts, showing that the reaction is due in part to 

 substances in solution in the plasma and in part to these corpuscles. Orlow- 

 sky (Zentralbl. f. Stoff. u. Verdauungskrankh., 1902, 111, 31) found in his 

 investigations of diseased conditions in human beings that the degree of 

 alkalescence was proportional to the quantity of erythrocytes; that the 

 leucocytes do not have any important influence; and that the reaction of 

 the blood plasma in most diseases remains normal or but little lessened. 

 As is well known, laking the blood, by which the erythrocytes are partially 

 or completely broken down, greatly increases the degree of alkalinity. 

 Interesting in this connection also is the work of Gautrelet (loc. cit.), who 

 found in his studies of hemocyanin that the degree of alkalinity of the 

 blood and the amount of hemocyanin are parallel. A parallelism has also 

 been noted between the degree of alkalinity and the percentage of hemo- 

 globin in the human being. 



Further zoological distinction has been shown in the resistance of the 

 blood of different species to a diminution of alkalinity when dilute mineral 

 acids are administered by the stomach. Human blood is readily affected 

 in this way; the blood of the rabbit is extremely sensitive; while the blood 

 of the dog shows a positive immunity. 



THE PROPORTIONS OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN THE BLOOD, SERUM, AND 

 CORPUSCLES IN RELATION TO GENERA. 



The results of the analyses of the bloods, sera, and corpuscles of man, 

 dog, cat, bullock, sheep, goat, horse, pig, rabbit, chicken, tortoise, frog, and 

 toad show clearly differences in the quantities and the ratios of Na and 

 K which are of unquestionable zoological importance in relation to class, 

 genus, and species (table 13). In the whole blood, in the ruminants and 



