1540 
We might suppose that — as regards the phagocytes — the 
withdrawal of oxygen affects in the first place the surface of the cells; 
owing to this fact the surface layer will plunge into their inner part 
which contains more oxygen; thus the amoeboid motion would be 
accentuated. The phenomenon would remind of the chemotactical 
motion of bacteria to an airbubble. In the case of phagocytes we 
might speak of an “entochemotaxis’, if | may be allowed to call it so. 
But it might also be assumed that a withdrawal of oxygen causes 
a decreased viscosity in the cells. 
[L have indeed found that if yolk is treated with oxygen, the viscosity increases, 
whence il follows that the viscosity is indeed affected by the oxygen percentage. 
Albuminous solutions were not so affected; we must, therefore, think of lipoid 
substances, and in this we are strengthened by observations of THUNBERG, which 
were amply confirmed by WARBURG, viz. that lecithin in the presence of iron can 
bind oxygen in relatively great quantities. They think that an oxydative decomposition 
of lecithin takes place, but could find no oxydation-products In my opinion we 
have to deal here with a compound of lecithin iron, which, like haemoglobin, can 
bind oxygen in a dissociable form. 
In this way oxygen might be supplied in a concentrated form to the oxydable 
substances in the cell. It is the task of the red blood-corpuscles to supply on 
their way through the capillaries, and by means of plasma and lymph, the oxygen 
required for the tissue-cells|. 4) 
In this direction my investigations are continued. More problems 
suggest themselves which will not be discussed now. 
SUMMARY. 
lL. Lf phagocytes are exposed during half an hour to a medium 
from which O has been almost entirely removed, they display a 
considerable acceleration of phagocytosis. 
If the cells are left for a longer time, e.g. 5 hours, in this 
solution, then the acceleration of the phagocytosis will give way to 
a retardation. 
2. For this acceleration of the phagocytosis by lack of O, which 
may seem strange at a first glance, and which was indeed unex- 
pected, an analogy may be found in the respiratory centre. Here too 
lack of O heightens the irritability (dyspnoea), the respiration 
ceasing entirely when the amount of O is further decreased. 
3. This view is confirmed by the corresponding behaviour of both 
cellspecies when exposed to KON. 
1) || Note added to the translation. 
