RATE OF PENETRATION OF IONS THROUGH THE CAPILLARY WALL 



435 



A ratio equal to 1 is to be expected when the heavy water concentration 

 of the total muscle water corresponds to that of the plasma water. This 

 stage of partition is reached between 20 and 38 min. after the start of 

 the experiment(i). This is the same result at which Hevesy and J acobsen 



Fig. 

 and 



mm. 



3. Percentage distribution ratio of labelled sodium, potassium 

 deuterium oxyde between plasma water and muscle water of 



equal weight. 



Table 7. — Ratio of the Density 



Excess of Plasma Water and 



Muscle Water 



Time in min 



Ratio of density excess of 



plasma water and 



muscle water 



10 

 20 

 38 



1.62 

 1.16 

 1.06 

 1.00 



(1940) arrived when investigating the rate of disappearance of heavy- 

 water from the circulation. The water content of the gastrocnemius 

 makes out 77 per cent of the muscles weight, about 11 per cent being 



(1^ Though great care was taken to distill off the total water content of the 

 muscle, the possibiUty that a minor amount of muscle water was not removed can 

 not be excluded. This water may not have taken part in an exchange process. 



28* 



