CHAP, ii.] MALY'S VIEWS. Ill 



electricity is passed through a U-tube, in one limb of which is a 

 solution of sodium bicarbonate, and in the other a solution of sodium 

 chloride, a membranous diaphragm separating the two solutions, 

 the liquid at the positive pole acquires an acid reaction, owing to the 

 presence of free hydrochloric acid, whilst that at the negative be- 

 comes more alkaline. The reaction which takes place occurs accord- 

 ing to the following equation. 



Na HC0 3 + NaCl = Na 2 C0 3 + HC1. 



To both Briicke's and Ralfe's views it must be objected that 

 they are purely speculative, and that they postulate the agency of 

 forces, to bring about the decomposition, which cannot be proved to 

 be in operation. 



Maiy's first Maly ascertained that when an alkaline chloride is 

 investigations, mixed with lactic acid and the mixture is subjected to 

 dialysis, free hydrochloric acid diffuses, the four bodies indicated in 

 the subjoined equation resulting from the interaction of sodium 

 chloride and lactic acid. 



Sodium Lactic Sodium Sodium Lactic Hydrochloric 



chloride acid chloride lactate acid acid 



Assuming that lactic acid were first of all produced in the 

 gastric mucous membrane, the subsequent liberation of hydrochloric 

 acid would thus be easily explained. Maly found, however, no evi- 

 dence of such a formation of lactic acid, and therefore concluded that 

 the free hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice was due to a dis- 

 sociation of the chlorides, without the interaction of any acid 1 . 



Maiy's second The blood, Maly remarked, is a liquid possessed of 



investigation an a jkaline reaction, which, however it derives from 



and more re- ,, c , M u j- 



cent theory * ne presence of two acid salts, sodium bicarbonate 



(NaHC0 3 ) and disodic phosphate (Na 2 HP0 4 ). But 

 the blood contains an excess of carbonic acid. When this body 

 acts upon alkaline disodium hydrogen phosphate Na 2 HP0 4 , it gives 

 rise to NaH 2 P0 4 and NaHC0 3 , as shewn in the following equa- 

 tion : 



Na 2 HP0 4 + C0 2 + H 2 = NaHC0 3 + NaH 2 P0 4 . 



Acid sodium phosphate is a body possessed of a decidedly acid 

 reaction, which however is concealed when its solution is mixed 

 with an excess of the alkaline phosphate. Now when acid sodium 



1 Maly, ' Untersuchungen iiber die Quelle der Magensaftsaure.' Annalen d. Chemie 

 u. Pharm., Vol. CLXXIII. (1874), p. 227. 



