179 



1. That in the solution of tibiiii in strongly dilr.ted NaOH oi' 

 Na^CO, or in strongly diluted avid, we have not a new coagulable 

 substance derived from tibrin, but a transition of the gel-fibriii into 

 the sol-state. 



II. That undei' certain experimental conditions, fibrin from its sol- 

 state, can be made to pass again into its gel-state whilst forming an 

 elastic coagulum, the cooperation of a ferment" being found to be 

 unnecessary. 



III. That, therefore, tibrin must be looked upon as a reversible gel, 

 the sol-state of which can be compared, or is identical, with blood- 

 fibrinogen in solution. 



If these results might indeed be looked upon as conchisive, they 

 would evidently furnish an eiitnely new foundation for the solution 

 of the problem relating to the nature of blood-coagulation. 



These preliminary conclusions, however, and more especially the 

 third would have to be confirmed by fuj-ther proofs if they were to 

 be accepted without reserve. It seemed to me that one woiUd be 

 justified in considering the formulated conclusions proved, and more 

 especially III, if it could be shown : 



J. That in übrinogen-solutions, more especially in natural fibrinogen 

 solutions, coagulation could be effected under the same conditions 

 as it had been effected until now, eithei- in fibrin-alkali- or in 

 fibrin-acid-solutions. 



2. That fibrin-alkali- or fibrin-acid-solutions could be made to coa- 

 gulate not only by acid or alkali, but also by those factors by which 

 "fibrinogen-solutions" generally coagulate. 



3. That saturated salt-solutions, such as NaCI or NaFl-solutions, 

 act upon fibrin-alkali- or fibrin-acid-solutions in the same way as 

 upon plasma which has been kept fluid or upon fibrinogen-solutions. 



Ad 1. To investigate the first condition centrifugated plasma, kept 

 fluid by a NaFI or citrate NaCl-solution, was made use of, and 

 likewise of a transudate which did not coagulate spontaneously and 

 was almost free from blood-corpuscles, which transudate had been 

 obtained from a patient suffering from ascites. It appeared now that 

 these fluids did not coagulate when strongly diluted NaOH was added. 

 On the contrary, an addition of only slight quantities of NaOH- 

 solution retarded the spontaneous coagulation of the fluid plasm, aiul 

 if somewhat more of the diluted alkali-solution were added, sponta- 

 neous coagulation did not take place at all. 



The results obtained with diluted acids and acid salts were entirely 

 different. By an addition of a trace of acid, coagulation took place 



12- 



