147 



did not cause uedema, which indeed came forth, wlien K was left 

 out, just as GuNZBURG has shown. 



Now mixtures were applied of NaCl 0,6 "/o with several quanta 

 of OaCl, . 6 aq. Tfie result was that oedema appeared when 

 CaOl, .6aq. 0,003 7„ 0,005 7„, 0,006 "/„ was applied, but that ii 

 stayed aivay when, CdCl^ . Q aq. 0,007 "/^ was used, even when the 

 hydrostatic pressure was raised from 35 to 70 cm. 



These experiments, tlierefore, went to show that, contrary to 

 Gunzbukg's opinion, K may be taken from liie circulating fluid, 

 without evoking oedema '), in other words, that no radioactive sub- 

 stance is required to prevent cedema. 



Now it seemed to be interesting to add some K to this circulating 

 fluid (NaCl 0,6 7„ + CaCI, . 6 aq. 0,007 7J, which, as has been said, 

 does not cause (p.dema. The addition of KCI 0,01 7o pi'oduced 

 (iidema. It may be concluded, therefore, that the absence of a'dema 

 on adding KCI in the experiments of Gunzburg cannot be due to a, 

 specific Potassium-action. On the other hand, it became ratherevident, 

 that when a definite concentration of it is present in oni' NaCl — 

 CaCl, mixture, (Lnlema is sure to appear on that account, so that 

 it becomes, obvious, that the prevention of (jedema by the 0,007 7o 

 CaCl, 6 aq. solution is balanced, and even more than balanced, 

 (this depends on the amount) by the antagoriistic Potassium. 



Now, how are we to account for Gunzburg's finding that a pot- 

 assium-free Ringer's mixture evokes (jedema? It is probably to be 

 ascribed to the fact that this circulating fluid contained only 0,02Vu 

 of NaHCOj, of which according to Rona and Takahashi's') formula 

 a large amount of Ca-ions is the consequence. 



A direct measurement of the Ca-ions concentration after Brinkman 

 and van Dam') proved that the Ca-ions concentration used by Gunzburg 

 was, indeed, much greater than in the above-named mixture of 

 NaCl 0,6 7„ + CaCI, . 6 aq. 0,007 7,. 



We found experimentally that in our mixture NaCI-CaCI,, which 

 did not bring about (jedema, contained 13 mgrms of Ca-ions per 

 Litre, whereas the liquid used by Gunzburg contained 20 mgrs per 

 Litre, which makes a difference of 35 7o- 



Now we know that K and Ca are antagonists; the action of K 

 being liquifying, that of Ca tending towards coagulation. It is not 



^) It has been sliown that, with other kinds of frogs, there are sometimes other 

 Ca-ion concentrations needed to prevent oedema. 



S) RoNA u. Takahashi, Biochem. Zeilschr. 49, 370, 1913. 



'^) Brinkman and van Dam, These Proceedings, Vol. XXll, p. 762. 



