( 153 ) 



Loeb ') and others, of the injurious action of a pure solution of a simple salt on the 

 life of young moving larvae and the vital processes of higher animals, such as the 

 beating ot the heart and the movements of the intestines, we were at first rather 

 astonished at the almost perfect innocuousness of similar solutions in regard to 

 the phagocytes. However, we can easily find an explanation for this seeming 

 inconsistency. Whenever a cell is surrounded by a simple isotonic solution of 

 salt, two things are likely to happen: an exchange of ions may take place, thus 

 causing a modification in the chemical structure of the cell, which interferes with 

 certain of its vital functions. This is the case with the larvae of fundulus 

 with the muscle of the heart and that of the intestines. A supply of specified 

 ions is then required to restore the chemical structure of the cell to its normal 

 state. But — and this is the second possibility — if the permeability of the cell 

 to ions is highly limited, a pure isotonic solution of salt will not cause any, or 

 only a very slight alteration in the chemical structure of the cell. This is the 

 case with the white corpuscles, the slight permeability of which to ions of 

 salts has already been demorstrated in the most convincing manner.-) 



Bearing this fact in mind, it can cause no surprise that, contrary to the results 

 of the observations on eggs and muscles, a pure solution of Sodium Chloride 

 leaves the phagocytarian power entirely or almost entirely intact. 



Under these circumstances, for determining the influence of the 

 water as such, it was indicated to take solutions of Sodium Chloride 

 of various strength. 



Table V shows the action of diluted solutions of Sodium Chloride 

 on phagocytosis. 



TABLE V. 

 Effect of hyper-isotonic solutions of Sodium Chloride on phagocytosis. 



!) J. Loeb, American Journal of Physiol. 3 1900 p. 327 and 383; 5 1901 p 362 

 Pfiuger's Archiv 80 1900 S 229. 



Lingle, Americ. of Journal of Physiol. 4 1900 p. 265. 



Miss Moore, Ibid. 1900 p. 386 etc. 



-) Hamburger. Zeitschr. f. Biol. 35 1897 S. 252 and S. 280; Proceed, of the 

 Boyal Academy of Sciences 11 April 1897. 



Archiv f. (Anat. u.) Physiol. 1898 S. 31 and S. 317. 



Virchow's Archiv 156 1899 S. 329. 



Hamburger and van per Schroeff, Archiv f. (Anat. u.) Physiol. 1902. S. 251. 



