78 



CHEMICAL STATICS 



III. GAS-CHAIN. EGG ALBUMIN DISSOLVED IN 0.05 N NaOH 



It will be seen that as the concentration of protein rises, i.e., 

 as the proportion of base or acid to protein diminishes, the base- 

 or acid-binding capacity of the protein diminishes. We have 

 already had occasion to note this fact in connection with the 

 results of Erb (11). 



Employing a mercury chain containing the element (HgCl 

 (solid), NaCl) instead of the element (HgCl (solid), HCl) used 

 above, and adding to the NaCl solution in this element varying 

 quantities of albumin, the following results were obtained : 



IV. MERCURY-CHAIN. EGG ALBUMIN DISSOLVED IN 0.05 N NaCl 



It will be seen that the electromotive force of the chain is but 

 little affected by the addition of egg albumin to the element 

 containing NaCl. 



The method employed by Bugarzsky and Liebermann involved, 

 as we have seen, a direct comparison of the ionic concentrations 

 in the protein solution and in the solvent, respectively. This 

 comparison may be avoided and the existence of a variety of 

 protein compounds inferred from the changes in curvature of 

 the curve of ionic concentration consequent upon the admixture 

 with the protein solution of varying proportions of the substance 

 with which compounds are formed. This method, which is 

 essentially the same as that now widely employed in various 

 branches of analytical chemistry (3) (46) (18) (19), was first 

 applied to protein solutions by D'Agostino and Quagliariello 

 (10) and has recently been extensively employed by C. L. A. 



