14 



SOAPS AND PROTEINS 



In Tables V and VI and Figs. 4 and 5 are shown the gelation 

 capacities of a series of palmitates and a series of laurates. 



These five sets of experiments show that a first factor in the 

 amount of water held by different soaps is resident in the nature of 



the metallic radical combined with the fatty acid. If the radical 

 most effective in this regard is given first, the sequence is about 



as follows: 



NH 4 , K, Na, Li, Mg, Ca, Hg, Pb, Ba (?) 



