714 



STUDIES IN GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY 



series of experiments were instituted in which the toxic and 

 antitoxic salt both had the same anion. 



TABLE II 



It is undoubtedly true, therefore, that the addition of 

 even a small amount of Ca ions diminishes the toxic 

 action of a pure sodium-chloride solution. It can further 

 be shown that the concentration of the Ca ions necessary 

 to abolish the poisonous effects of a sodium-chloride solu- 

 tion increases as the concentration of the latter increases 

 (see Table III). 



Tables II and III show clearly that the amount of calcium 

 necessary to annihilate the poisonous effect of a solution of 

 a sodium salt increases with the concentration of the sodium 

 salt in the solution. 



The embryos formed in these solutions, rendered harmless 

 through the addition of calcium, developed a normal circula- 

 tion and lived several weeks. As a rule, however, they did 

 not hatch. It was further found that the addition of 5 c.c. 

 of a -g 1 CaSO 4 solution could annihilate absolutely the toxic 

 effect of a f m, ^m, or -f- m NaCl solution. These experiments 

 leave no room for doubt that the presence of a trace of Ca 

 ions is capable of rendering inert the poisonous effects of a 

 pure sodium-chloride solution. 



3. It was next shown that Sr, Ba, and Mg ions are 

 also capable of annihilating the poisonous effects of a 



