EMULSOIDS 399 



elusion that the preeipitating power of a salt was an additive 

 property which depended on the constituent ions. 



Kations, as a rule, act as precipitants for albumen, while 

 anions tend to keep it in solution. 



The precipitating power of the kations increases in the 

 following order : Mg, NH4-, K, Na, Li, while the inhibiting 

 or solvent action of the anion increases in the following order : 

 -C2H3O2, -CI, -NO3, -Br, -I, -CNS. 



According as the precipitating power of the kation or the 

 inhibiting power of the anion predominates, the resulting salt 

 will either precipitate or not precipitate albumen. 



These observations are given below in tabular form. As 

 shown by the arrows, the kations and the anions are arranged 

 in ascending order of precipitating and inhibiting power 

 respectively. The symbols + and — respectively signify that 

 the salt does or does not precipitate albumen, the blank spaces 

 meaning that the salt has not been investigated. 



Rations -> Mg NH4 K Na Li ' 



Anions. 



I 

 Fluoride 



Sulphate -|- 



Phosphate 

 Citrate 

 Tartrate 

 Acetate 



Chloride — 



Nitrate — 



Chlorate 



Bromide — 



Iodide _ _ _ 



Sulphocyanide _ _ _ — 



From this table it may be seen that the comparatively 

 slight precipitating power of the kations, Mg and NH4-, is 

 completely neutralized by the anions -C2H3O2 or -CI, while 

 the more powerfully inhibiting anions -NO3 and -CIO3 are 

 able to neutralize the precipitating power of the kation K as 

 well as that of Mg and NH4-. Similarly the powerfully in- 

 hibiting anions -Br, -I, and -CNS, are able to counteract the 

 precipitating power of sodium as well. 



