68 MECHANISM OF DISINFECTION AND HEMOLYSIS 



As a matter of fact the exact shape of the frequency curve — that 

 is the relative abundance of cells having different degrees of resistance 

 to any given lytic agent — is not of general significance, for it depends 

 on the condition and previous treatment of the animal from which 

 the cells are secured, on the nature of the lysin, etc. For example, 

 Handovsky^ has shown that during the regeneration of erythrocytes 

 following artifically induced anemia there are two groups of erythro- 

 cytes, one of which has a higher average resistance to hemolysis by 

 saponin than the other; differentiation of curves representing the 

 course of the hemolysis of such blood cells gives a bimodal variation 

 curve. The same author has shown that alterations in resistance 

 may appear in opposite senses according to the choice of lytic agents; 

 e.g., the blood cells of dormant bats are less resistant to the action of 

 saponin, but more resistant to that of sodium hydroxide than those 

 of active bats. 



We may sum up the influence of variations of resistance by saying 

 that they determine the general shape and points of inflection of the 

 curves expressing the course of such processes, and that, therefore, 

 in the absence of further analysis such curves tell us nothing as to the 

 nature of the fundamental reaction. 



Changes in velocity during successive stages of the fundamental 

 reaction will obviously produce corresponding changes in the time 

 required to produce a given degree of hemolysis, and will therefore 

 alter the shape of the time curve. We have seen that when the 

 equation of the variation curve of resistance is of the form 



y = yo 



and the velocity of the fundamental reaction is constant, the time 

 curve of the reaction is identical with that of the process as a whole. 

 A moment's reflection will show that, whatever the course of the 

 fundamental reaction, so long as the variation curve remains of this 

 form the same identity will appear. If for example the fundamental 

 reaction is monomolecular, the course of the process will appear 

 monomolecular. 



The relative length of time required for the process to reach any 

 given stage {i.e. the abscissa of the time curve for any given ordinate) 

 will be greater for the same initial velocity in the case of a monomo- 



