MECHANISM OF PROCESS OF DEATH 67 



Since at this time M is formed as rapidly as it is decom- 

 posed, we have 



^yjK'j = M max K^ 

 A J, = M jnaxK^ 



At the start (in sea water) the value of A was 2700, but 

 it has now diminished to a fraction represented by 



( ^ -' j -f- 2700. We can easily fiaid out how long 



it requires to reach this value, for, as the reaction A — »■ M 

 is monomolecular, we may write 



AT =2700* '^'"^ = ^/Lia^lE 



—KiT_ M max K, 

 ~ 2700 if, 



Knowing the values of M max, K^ and K2 we can find 



17 (71 



the value of T by looking up the value of e * in 

 a table.*" 



In the present instance we have M max = 153.94 — 

 10 = 143.94 



Hence 



- (0.0018) T 

 (143.94) 0.0295 ^ , 



(2700) 0.0018 ' 

 and0.87372 = «-(«0018>^ 



We find from the table that 



,-0.135_,- (0.0018) 75^0 87372 

 Whence T — 75 



It should be noted that multiplying K^ and K2 by the 



"E.g., Table IV in the Smithsonian Mathematical Tables, Hyperbolic 

 Functions, by G. F. Becker and C. E. Van Orstrand, 1909. See also 

 Van Orstrand, C. E. (1921). 



