VELOCITY OF REACTIONS 



25 



The curves (Fig. 3) are evidently very nearly 

 straight lines. This is especially clear for the decom- 

 position of tetanolysin. The differences between 

 the observed and the calculated values fall well 

 within the errors of observation. On the curves 

 we see that the logarithm of the quantity of haemo- 

 lysin reaches the value 1-4 in 37 minutes, whereas 

 the corresponding line for the tetanolysin needs 130 

 minutes for the same purpose. From that we 

 conclude that the velocity of decomposition of the 

 haemolysin (at 51° C.) is 130 : 37 = 3-5 times greater 

 than that for tetanolysin (at 49-8° C). In this 

 manner the constant of the velocity of reaction K 

 is determined. 



An analogous case has been investigated by Miss 

 Chick and Dr. Martin, who determined the rate of 

 coagulation of haemoglobin and of egg- albumen. 

 The quantity of protein present in the solution at 

 a certain time was determined by taking out a small 

 part of the solution and coagulating it at ioo c C. 



