( 721 ) 
If the view expressed by J. LorB and others is a correct one, viz. 
that when a NaCl solution is added to cells an interchange takes 
place between Na-ions of NaCl and other kations of the cells, it 
may be expected that an addition of NaCl to the bloodserum will 
bring about a transition of Ca-ions from the blood cells to the serum. 
To investigate this, 0.1°/, and 0.16°/, NaCl were added to the blood 
serum of a known amount of blood, increases also occurring in 
normal and a fortiori in pathological life and leaving intact the life 
of phagocytes (HAMBURGER and HekKMA, 1. ce). Next the amount of Ca 
in the serum was determined and compared with that of the original 
blood. The Ca amount was determined by adding ammonium oxalate 
and measuring the volume of the Ca oxalate in funnelshaped capil- 
lary tubes. 
The result of these Ca-determinations however by no means 
answered our expectations. Instead of increasing a decrease was found, 
as shown by the last column of the following table. 
Na Cl added to Dilution of Decrease of Ca amount 
the serum. serum. of serum. 
0.1 Op 9.6 0/, 21.8 %/p 
0.16 % 122% 29.5 0/0 
To what could this decrease be attributed ? 
To the dilution of the serum perhaps, which being made hyper- 
isotonic, had extracted water from the blood corpuscles? In the second 
column the percentage of the dilution is stated. If this were entirely 
responsible for the decrease in percentage of the Ca amount, the 
values in the two columns would entirely agree. We see that this is 
not the case and that the Ca amount in the serum has decreased 
more than is consistent with the dilution. We must infer from this 
that under the influence of NaCl, Ca has passed into the blood 
corpuscles. 
It seemed to me that this could only be explained by assuming 
that in consequence of the loss of water a modification in the dis- 
sociation had taken place in the blood-corpuscles and that this modi- 
fication was to be held accountable for the fact. If this were the 
case the addition of an isosmotic quantity of a non-electrolyte to 
the serum, of canesugar for instance, would equally result in a 
transition of Ca to the bloodeorpuscles, and that the decrease of Ca 
would be even greater than where NaCl was added. 
Thus the following mixtures were made : 
