28 77//; ciiKMisTny wn riivs/cs of the cell 



tion. It is woll known tliat solutions of mercury, and for tliat matter 

 most other antisp]:)tics, are much less actively germicidal in alcohol 

 than when in water, because their ionization is less in alcohol; and the 

 germicidal properties decrease as the proportion of alcohol increases, 

 until the germicidal effect of the mixture is no greater than that of 

 alcohol alone in the same strength. 



If we had no electrolytes in the cell, electric charges could not be 

 carried about in it, and hence chemical reactions could not occur. It 

 is this fact that makes the inorganic salts of such vital importance 

 to the cell life. To repeat Mann's words, it is the electrolytes that put 

 life into the proteins. AYater itself is almost absolutely non-dissoci- 

 ated, and proteins so little that for some time it w^as doubted if they 

 I'eally did ionize. Probably all soluble substances do dissociate to a 

 certain minimal degree, but it is so slight for most of the constitu- 

 ents of the cell except the inorganic salts (the organic acids and alka- 

 lies, and a few dissociable organic products of protein metabolism, 

 occur in such insignificant amounts as to be almost negligible) that 

 without them there would be little chemical activity possible, and 

 hence life would be absent or at a very low ebb indeed. As before 

 mentioned, the inorganic salts probably exist in the cell not only as 

 salts, but also, and perhaps chiefly, as ions and ionic compounds w^ith 

 the cell proteins. For the most part it seems to be the cations that 

 play the chief role in forming ion-protein compounds, althoiigh un- 

 doubtedly the anions do combine wdth the proteins also, and in some 

 instances they exert very characteristic and important effects; e. g., 

 the differences between the effects of chlorides, bromides, and iodides, 

 or of CNH as compared with HCl, both of wdiich liberate the same 

 cation and differ only in their anions. 



IMany applications of the facts and theories of ionization have been 

 made in physiology, and a few applications have also been made in 

 pathology, especially the relation of ions to edema, to diuresis and 

 glycosuria, and also to problems of immunity. No attempt will be 

 made here to go further in the observations and theories concerning 

 ionization or its role in physiology, but for more extensive informa- 

 tion as well as for the complete bibliography the works mentioned 

 below may be referred to.^^ The applications in pathology will be 

 brought out as the subject under discussion in subsequent chapters 

 necessitates, and it is largely to facilitate the understanding of such 

 references that this brief summary of the subject of ionization has 



15 "Physical Chemistry in tlio Service of Medicine." Wolfsanir Paul!, transla- 

 tion by M. TT. Fischer, New York. IflO". "Physikalisohe Chemie der Zelle und 

 der Gewebe." ITiiber, Leipzig, 191;"). "Osniotische Driick iind Tonenlehre in den 

 medicinischen Wissensehaften," Hamburjrer, Wiesbaden. "Studies in General 

 Physiolopy." Loeb, University of Chicairo Press, 1005. "Dynamics of Livinjj 

 ]\ratter," Loeb, Columbia University Press. New York, 1000. Bottaz/i, Er^eb- 

 nisse d. Pliysiol., 1008 (7), IGl. Spiro and J. Loeb, Oppenheimer's "Handbuch 

 der Biochemie," 1008 (2), 1-141. 



