F. J. W. ROUGHTON, J. W. LEGGE and P. NICOLSON 



equal to 0-5 y Q bxlD x p b as can be shown theoretically should be the 

 case 18 . In the latter expression y Q = concentration of haemoglobin in 

 the interior of the corpuscle, expressed in the same units as p b , the 

 constant partial pressure of dissolved gas at the surface of the corpuscle. 

 Figure 6 applies to the special case of^! = 7xl0" 5 cm. The more 

 general case (i.e. for a wide range of values of b x and k{) has been 

 worked out by Nicolson and Roughton (q.v.). 



The detailed calculations for the rate of dissociation of oxyhaemo- 

 globin in the corpuscle are more involved than for the rates of com- 

 bination, but fortunately it is again found that a practically linear 

 relation exists between 1/X and the half time of the reaction. This 

 simplification makes it possible for the procedure to be applied to 

 many experimental data, without need of performing or knowing how 

 to perform the finite difference calculations on which the treatment is 

 based. With further developments of the rapid reaction velocity 

 technique it is therefore hoped to determine the permeability of the red 

 blood corpuscle to 2 and CO under a wide variety of conditions — 

 normal and pathological — and with only occasional expert mathe- 

 matical help. 



Table III 



Summary of estimates of permeability of red blood corpuscle 



membrane (sheep) in CO ^-bicarbonate- Ringer-Locke solution 



(pU 6-8-7-1, temp, ca 15°C.) 



The results we have so far obtained are summarized in Table III. 

 The difference between the pregnant ewe blood corpuscles and the 



80 



