THe PuysioLoGicaL Errects or Ions 465 
given here; so long, indeed, that the muscle may be regarded 
as dead. It was found that the increase in weight continues, 
even though less rapidly, with an increase in the time. 
The following table shows the amount of water absorbed 
in twenty-four hours when V = 210 and V= 110: 
TABLE XI 
V =210 (24 hrs.) | V=110 (24 hrs.) | V=60 (18 hrs.) 
DIOH 4 seweeees 47.0% 76.0% 86.8% 
NaOH ........ 41.3 72.2 76.3 
KOH ......... 47.5 77.0 79.4 
One sees again that the quantitative effects of the solu- 
tions of the three bases is nearly the same as soon as the 
same number of OH ions are contained in the unit volume. 
In Table XII is given the amount of water absorbed by 
muscles after a residence of eighteen hours in solutions of 
acids when V = 110 (or 210): 
TABLE XII 
V=110 
HC cctaxhaeiwars 47.5% 
FET SO ig ees wid 37.7 
eepreeon 40.1 
Acetic acid ...... 14.2 
Lactic acid ...... 27.2 
4 oxalic acid ..... 28.8 
3 malic acid...... 20.0 
When the muscle is kept for a long time in acids, the muscle 
substance becomes liquefied. This is especially noticeable 
in the inorganic acids, and in oxalic and lactic acid. The 
absorption of water has in itself nothing to do with this pro- 
cess, as nothing of the sort is observed in the alkali solutions, 
even though the absorption of water is much greater in these.' 
1I suppose that this liquefaction is due to a hydrolysis which in the presence of 
acid is accelerated by the pepsin in the muscle. [1903] 
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