OXYGEN 161 



is molecularly distributed throughout the solution in accordance 

 with the law of Avogadro. Again we see, therefore, as we saw 

 in considering the copper albuminates (Chap. VI, section 5), that 

 the distinction which has been built up by certain authors be- 

 tween the crystalloids which form homogeneous, and the colloids 

 which are supposed to form heterogeneous, solutions, is entirely 

 artificial and not in accordance with the facts. 



The results obtained by Barcroft and his co-workers have 

 received decisive confirmation at the hands of Butterfield (24) 

 who, using the spectrophotometric method, has shown with a 

 very high degree of precision, that the absorption-spectrum of a 

 solution containing a mixture of oxyhsemoglobin and reduced 

 haemoglobin does not alter upon dilution. The solubility of 

 oxygen in water not being appreciably affected by the presence 

 of haemoglobin the relative proportion of the reacting substances 

 (oxygen, haemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin) is not altered by 

 dilution and therefore in accordance with the mass law the pro- 

 portion of oxygen in combination remains likewise unaffected. 



LITERATURE CITED 



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(3) Abderhalden, E., and Slavu, Zeit. f. physiol. Chem. 59 (1909), p. 247. 



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(5) Allemann, O., Biochemische Zeitschr. 45 (1912), p. 346. 



(6) Altmann, R., Arch. f. (Anat. und) Physiol. (1889), p. 524. 



(7) Arrhenius, S., "Immunochemistry," New York (1907). 



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(1914). 



(10) Barcroft, J., and Camis, M., Journ. of Physiol. 39 (1909), p. 118. 



(11) Barcroft, J,, and Hill, A. V., Journ. of Physiol. 39 (1909), p. 411. 



(12) Barcroft, J., and King, W. O. R., Journ. of Physiol. 39 (1909), p. 374. 



(13) Barcroft, J., and Roberts, F., Journ. of Physiol. 39 (1909), pp. 143, 429. 



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(15) Benedicenti, A., Biochem. Zeitschr. 63 (1914), p. 276. 



(16) Benedicenti, A., and Revello-AIves, S., Biochem. Zeit. 65 (1914), p. 107. 



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(18) Blum, F., Zeit. f. physiol. Chem. 28 (1899), p. 288. 



