592 THE GASES OF THE BLOOD 



for every 10 rise of temperature. However, W. Ostwald 32 

 looks on the whole problem from an entirely different stand- 

 point, introducing in opposition to the theory of dissoci- 

 ation and chemical combination a theory of adsorption, 

 and expressing the belief that the complex phenomena of 

 gas fixation in the blood are far better regarded as purely 

 physical adsorption phenomena and that they can be dealt 

 with mathematically by means of the formula of adsorption. 

 The author is not in a position to form a personal opinion 

 in regard to this difficult subject and believes it best to await 

 with patience the future conclusions of physical chemists in 

 this problem. 



Similar differences of opinion obtain as to the physical- 

 chemical interpretation of carbon monoxide haemoglobin, 

 nitrous oxide haemoglobin, cyanhaemoglobin, sulphhaemoglo- 

 bin and acetylenehsemoglobin. It is scarcely likely to be 

 regarded as appropriate here to spend any time on the 

 length and breadth of this subject and in the end come to no 

 satisfactory conclusion. It should be sufficient to call atten- 

 tion to the authoritative statements which may be found in 

 the papers of Ch. Bohr, A. Lowy, and F. Miiller. 33 



Carbonic Acid Combination in the Blood. Turning now 

 to the consideration of carbonic acid combination in the 

 blood, we approach a subject of even more complicated 

 character than that of oxygen fixation, as carbonic acid 

 enters into combinations subject to dissociation with the 

 inorganic as well as with organic constituents of the blood. 

 Important researches upon this subject have been prose- 

 cuted by Pfliiger, Gaule, Setschenow, Zuntz and A. Lowy, 

 Bohr, Torup, Jaquet, Nagel and others. 34 



A portion of the carbonic acid exists in the blood as 



82 W. Ostwald, Zeitsehr. f. Kolloidchem., 2, 264, 294, 1908; cited in 

 Jahresber. f. Tierchemie, 38, 187, 1908. 



83 Ch. Bohr, Nagel's Handb. d. Physiol., 1, 120-128, 1905; A. Lowy, Handb. 

 d. Biochem., 4', 43-44, 65-71, 1908; F. Mtiller, ibid., 1, 681-706, 1909; Handb. 

 d. biochem. Arbeitsmethod., 3', 664-703, 1910. 



"Literature upon Carbonic Acid Combination in the Blood: Ch. Bohr, 

 Nagel's Handb. d. Physiol., 1, 68-69, 103-117, 1905; A. Lowy, Handb. d. 

 Biochem., 4', 55-64, 77, 1908. 



