16 



Absorption op Liquids by Animal Tissues 



c. Sulphates. — In the experiments first performed, the concentrations of the sul- 

 phate solutions were made equimolar with the chloride solutions. Here the same 

 general effects were noted as in the case of the monobasic salts, viz. , marked loss of 

 fluid when muscle was placed in hypertonic solutions, while in hypotonic solutions of 

 the same salt a marked absorption was observed. 



The effect of the cation, in combination with the anion SO 4, was shown by the 

 earlier experiments to be very slight. 



TABLE VIII 



Inasmuch as these effects of equimolar solutions were so very nearly identical, the 

 further experiments on effects of isosmotic solutions of the various sulphates were 

 assumed to be unnecessary. The effect of isosmotic sulphate of sodium was, therefore, 

 taken as a general effect of such solutions of sulphates. We notice from the above table, 

 as well as the one given below, that the action of the sulphates seems to be dependent 

 on the effect of the anion, while the effect of the chlorides and nitrates depends on the 

 action of the cation. 



Below is given a complete table of sulphates used together with their concentra- 

 tion and time effects : 



TABLE IX 



118 



