26 THE THEORY OF IONS 



bears a constant relationship to the consumption 

 of an explosive material which results in the 

 development of C0 2 and sarcolactic acid. The 

 nature of this chemical change is not clearly under- 

 stood ; but we know that the materials essential for 

 the process must contain carbon and hydrogen, and 

 we also know that oxygen is certainly consumed in 

 the form of 0' or OH'. The H- ion may also be in 

 use ; and sarcolactic acid is probably formed by the 

 union of acid or OH 7 ions with products of decom- 

 position of the exploded molecule as a secondary 

 reaction. Muscle substance could not exist without 

 water ; and the explosive substance may be in solu- 

 tion in the water. Now ions alone can take part 

 in the conduction of the electric current through 

 liquids or gases ; the undissociated molecules being 

 inoperative, ergo ions convey the electricity through 

 the muscle fibre. The ions only remain active and 

 have an independent existence so long as they 

 retain their electrical charges, which may be enor- 

 mous. A great amount of energy is transformed 

 into heat during muscular activity, and although we 

 cannot tell what is the exact chemical action which 

 takes place we may judge of its importance by 

 analogy ; e.g. when a known combination of carbon 

 and hydrogen, such as methane, undergoes oxidation 

 much energy is liberated in the form of heat, as shown 

 by the following thermo-chemical equation : 



CH 4 + 20 2 = C0 2 + 2H 2 +212,000 calories. 



Which means that when 1 6 grammes of methane are 

 combined with 64 grammes of oxygen there are 

 produced 44 grammes of carbon dioxide, 36 grammes 



