462 Enzymes as Factors in Edema [Mar. 



basic salts, combine with protein, and in other ways distribute itself 

 between the different phases of the cell" (page 454). He accepts 

 with approval, " so far," he says, "as he understands it," and quotes 

 (page 454) my Suggestion that " acid, by reducing basicity or effect- 

 ing a reaction-discoördination or inducing some other molecular 

 disequilibration, may be an inciting cause, or a stimidating influ- 

 ence, or an indirect though none the less influential factor " in the 

 production of edema; that "as a link in a chain of factors, the 

 influence of acid in effecting abnormal hydrophilia is conceivably 

 important." 



3. Enzyme s (such as hydrolases) may determine in large degree 

 the amount of water held by the tissues under various physiological 

 and pathological conditions (Gies, page 455).^ "Whether acids and 

 ferments act together cannot yet be said, for quantitative studies of 

 the subject . . . are lacking" (Fischer, page 455).^ 



Our agreement on the three general propositions formulated 

 above emphasizes the f ollowing additional f acts : 



A. Fischer originally'^ attributed edema primarily to an " accu- 

 midation of acids within the tissues " but gave merely casual con- 

 sideration to several experimental observations which suggest that 

 enzymes are possible factors of influence in this relation. 



B. While I have said, in agreement with Fischer, that acid 

 " may be an inciting cause, or a stimidating influence, or an indirect 

 though none the less influential factor " in this connection (page 

 454), I have also been iirging special attention to ensymes as agents 

 that may possibly eqiial, if not exceed, acid in importance in the 

 caiisation of edema. I have not assumed that the supposed action 

 of enzymes is dependent on acidity or on reduced basicity, or on any 

 one type of conditions. 



By concluding that "quantitative studies" of the relative powers 

 of acids and enzymes will make it easy to "answer" the main 



■* This general Statement about the possible influence of enzymes, in the 

 words of Fischer's deduction regarding the röle of acid, is embodied in the 

 writer's comment on pages 312-315 of the Biochemical Bulletin, 191 1, i (No. 2). 



' A previous paper f rom this laboratory recorded observations in this con- 

 nection which are significant. See Berg and Gies : Journal of Biological Chem- 

 istry, 1907, ii, pp. 508, 522 and 545. Alkalies may be as effective as acids. (See 

 also the succeeding paper by Tracy and Gies, page 467.) 



' The \vriter refers to Fischer's book on edema. 



