76 PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY IN MEDICINE. 



amount to precipitate protein. With the exception of the 

 first tube, they all contain in addition different ammonium 

 salts in chemically equivalent concentrations arranged 

 in the order given in the table. As can be readily seen, 

 the fluoride and sulphate increase the precipitate, the 

 chloride is practically indifferent, while the bromide, 

 iodide, and sulphocyanate hinder in increasing degree 

 the coagulation through the potassium tartrate. 



From a large number of similar experiments it has 

 been possible to deduce the following laws, which will 

 be utilized as the foundation for what is to follow: 



1. The effect of a salt upon a protein is made up, in 

 the main, of the algebraic sum of the effects of the in- 

 dividual ions. 



2. Anions and cations antagonize each other the 

 cations precipitate, the anions inhibit precipitation; there 

 results in this way a definite grouping of the ions according 

 to the intensity of their actions. 



I wish to add that an analogous table of ions has been 

 constructed for the salts of the alkaline earths and the 

 heavy metals, though an investigation of the protein 

 precipitates brought about by these salts is attended 

 by many complicating circumstances. 



II. 



With the exception of the beautiful studies of DRESER 

 on the toxicity of mercury salts and scattered investiga- 

 tions on the effects of electrolytes on unicellular organisms, 

 there exist but few attempts to apply the ionic theory 

 to the pharmacology of salts. One cannot even say that 

 the conception of the general effects of salts the basis 



