PALMER, ATCHLEY, AND LOEB 589 



were made at pH 3.5, 5.0, and 7.3. In Fig. 2 the results are plotted 

 on a common scale, conductivities as ordinates and concentrations of 

 albumin as abscissas. As in the case of pure gelatin solutions, the 

 three curves appear to be straight lines. At pH 3.5 the conductivity- 

 increases with the concentration of gelatin, and at pH 5.0 it decreases 

 markedly with increasing amounts of gelatin. At about the reaction 

 of blood, pH 7.3, there is a definite, but less striking, decrease of the 

 conductivity as the percentage of albumin increases. 



DISCUSSION. 



The results charted in Fig. 2 indicate that egg albumin influences 

 the conductivity of a solution of sodium chloride in about the same 

 manner as does gelatin. Considerable support is thereby given to the 

 idea that the factor determining the influence of protein on the con- 

 ductivity of a NaCl solution is the degree of ionization which is 

 dependent on the pH of the solution. At the reaction of blood, egg 

 albumin is so little ionized that it decreases the conductivity of the 

 salt solution to which it is added. 



CONCLUSION. 



Egg albumin, like gelatin, influences the conductivity of a 0.6 per 

 cent NaCl solution in two ways : (a) At an hydrogen ion concentration 

 of about pH 3.0, increasing concentrations increase the conductivity. 

 (b) Near the isoelectric point of albumin and at the pH of the blood, 

 increasing concentrations of albumin decrease the conductivity of the 

 NaCl solution. 



