Tue PuysioLtogicaL EFrrects or Ions 463 
greatest importance to us: Do these phenomena rest upon 
the effect of the OH ions or the molecules of the bases? 
The degree of dissociation of the bases at the concentrations 
employed gives us the information we seek regarding this 
point. 
Without detaining the reader with the mathematical 
proof, we can show that the dissociation of these alkalies at 
the concentrations employed is nearly complete. From this 
it follows that we are dealing with the effects of ions, and 
that the effect of the alkalies observed by us on the absorp- 
tion of water by the muscle is determined solely by the 
negatively charged hydroxyl ions; that the molecules KOH 
NaOH, and LiOH, and also the cations K, Na, and Li, play 
no part in this effect. For this reason we must obtain 
quantitatively equal physiological effects as soon as the 
given bases are used in such concentrations that the same 
number of hydroxyl ions is present in the same volume of 
the solution. 
These results are well corroborated by the following ex- 
periments with 4Ba(OH), and $Sr(OH),. 
TABLE IX 
(V=110) 
I II TIT Average 
1gBa(OH),.......- 16.84 18.5% 19.0% 18 1% 
1%Sr(OH), ........ 17.5 14.5 14.3 15.4 
TABLE X 
(V=60) 
I II | III Average 
1%4Ba(OH), .......- 27.8¢ | 29.5% | 24.3¢ | 27.2¢ 
4%8r(OH), ........ 30.6 25.6 21.2 25.8 
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