OSTERHOUT— DYNAMICAL THEORY OF ANTAGONISM. 535 



We may suppose for the sake of simplicity that they represent 

 two monomoleciilar reactions^ of the type 



160% 



A^M-^B, 



*_ioo. NaCl + 0. CaCls 



SEA WATER 



75 hours 



Fig. I. Curves of electrical resistance of Laniinaria in NaCl .52 M, in 

 CaCU .2y9>M, and in mixtures of these (the figures show the molecular per 

 cent, of CaCls in the mixture). Some points are omitted in order to avoid 

 undue crowding (these may be obtained from Table III). 



in which a substance A breaks down into an intermediate substance 

 M which in turn breaks down to fonn B. In such a reaction the 

 amount of M at first increases, reaches a maximum and then 

 decreases. 



The nature of this process is evident from a consideration of 

 Fig. 2. If the reservoir A be filled with water while M and B are 

 empty, and if water be allowed to flow from A into M, the amount 

 of water in M (for convenience this amount is called 3') will first 



^ Or other reactions of the first order as for example when two sub- 

 stances react but one is present in great excess. 



PROC. AMF.R. PHIL. SOC, VOL. LV, HH, AUG. 22, I916. 



