THE DISSOCIATION CURVE OF HEMOGLOBIN 

 curve. In this case it was not the curve of the reaction 



101 



0, + Hb 



HbQ 



2> 



but the analogous curve of the reaction 



CO + Hb :s^ HbCO. 



We had a series of saturators of very different size, the smallest 

 having a capacity of about 25 c.c, the largest of about 5 litres. Each 

 was filled with hydrogen rigorously freed from oxygen and contained 

 no carbon monoxide. Into each saturator was placed 5 c.c. of a solution 



[COHb] 

 100 



100 



{The rectangles represent the calculated experimental error.) 

 Fig. 29. 



of carboxyhaemoglobin of known CO capacity. The whole quantity 

 of CO introduced into the saturator was therefore known with ac- 

 curacy. The saturator was then shaken violently. Carbon monoxide 

 escaped from the solution of carboxyhsemoglobin and accumulated 

 in the atmosphere until the point was reached at which the solution 

 and the atmosphere in contact with it were in equihbrium. After this 

 point had been reached, a portion of the resultant mixture of carboxy- 

 hsemoglobin and reduced hsemoglobin was withdrawn into a small 

 vessel: here the reduced hsemoglobin became oxygenated without 

 appreciable loss of CO by the carboxyhsemoglobin. It only remained 



