MINERAL BODIES OF THE SERUM. 261 



dialysis, the presence of sodium chloride, which forms the chief mass or 

 60-70 per cent of the total mineral bodies, lime-salts, sodium carbonate, 

 and traces of sulphuric and phosphoric acids and of potassium, may be 

 directly shown in the serum. 1 Traces of silicic acid, fluorine, copper, 

 iron, manganese, and ammonia are claimed to have been found in the 

 serum. As in most animal fluids, the chlorine and sodium are in the 

 blood-serum in excess of the phosphoric acid and potassium (the occurrence 

 of which in the serum is even doubted). The acids present in the ash 

 are not sufficient to saturate the bases found, a condition which shows 

 that a part of the bases is combined with organic substances, perhaps 

 proteins. This also coincides with the fact that the great part 

 of the alkalies does not exist in the serum as diffusible alkali com- 

 pounds, carbonate and phosphate, but as non-diffusible compounds, 

 protein combinations. According to HAMBURGER 2 37 per cent of 

 the alkali of the serum from horse-blood was diffusible and 63 per 

 cent non-diffusible. 



Iodine, which seems to be habitually found, is also considered as 

 a mineral constituent of the plasma or serum (GLEY and BOURCET), 

 while arsenic, although not found in all blood, occurs in human blood 

 (GAUTIER, BOURCET S ). Iodine occurs to a greater extent in menstrual 

 blood than in other blood and does not exist as a salt, but as an organic 

 compound (BOURCET) . 



The gases of the blood-serum, which consist chiefly of carbon dioxide 

 with only a little nitrogen and oxygen, will be described when treating 

 of the gases of the blood. 



We have only a few analyses of blood-plasma. As an example the 

 results of the analyses of the blood-plasma of the horse will be given 

 below. The analysis No. 1 was made by HoppE-SEYLER. 4 No. 2 is the 

 average of the results of three analyses made by HAMMARSTEN. The 

 figures are given for 1000 parts of the plasma. 



No. 1. No. 2. 



Water 908.4 917.6 



Solids 91.6 82.4 



Total proteins 77.6 69.5 



Fibrin 10.1 6.5 



Globulin 38.4 



Seralbumin 24 . 6 



Fat 1.2] 



Extractive substances 4 .0 ! 19Q 



Soluble salts 6 .4 | 



Insoluble salts. . . 1 . 7 I 



1 See Giirber, Verhandl. d. phys.-med. Gesellsch. zu Wiirzburg, 23. 



2 In regard to method, see Arch, f . (Anat. u.) Physiol., 1898. 



3 Gley and Bourcet, Compt. rend., 130; Bourcet, ibid., 131; Gautier, ibid., 131. 



4 Cit. from v. Gorup-Besanez's Lehrbuch der physiol. Chem., 4. Aufl., 346. 



