CARBONIC ACID \S$ 



in water is not favorable for the best resnlu 

 its instability is a fatal obstacle. 



Such are the physico-chemical facts re- 

 garding neutrality regulation in heterogeneous 

 systems by means of carbonic acid and bicar- 

 bonates, and, though the exposition is difficult, 

 it has seemed necessary to make them clear. 

 For there is, I believe, except in celestial me- 

 chanics, no other case of such accuraev in a 

 natural regulation of the environment. More- 

 over, the chemist has discovered no means of 

 rivaling the efficiency and delicacy of adjust- 

 ment of the process. Finallv, acidity and 

 alkalinity surpass all other conditions, even 

 temperature and concentration of reacting 

 substances, in the influence which they exert 

 upon many chemical processes. 1 



Almost wholly through this mechanism the 

 oceans are always nearly neutral. Chiefly 

 with its aid protoplasm and blood possess an 

 unvarying reaction. Quite recently the con- 

 centration of hydrogen ions in the ocean has 

 been very carefully studied by Palitzsch, 1 



1 Of all catalytic agents these ions are by far the moat 

 important. In their influence upon the stability of collo* 

 systems they are also unapproached by other Bubstani 



2 "Etant donne* que l'eau <!•' met a un contact is intime 

 avec les organismes de la mer <-t que n<>n seulemenl elk V i 

 entoure de ses flots, mais qu'elle traverse leura branchiei el 

 impregne en partie Lea corp dea invertebrfe, il seinhle . 



