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  True 
  — 
  Toxic 
  Action 
  of 
  Acids 
  and 
  

  

  Inorganic 
  Compounds. 
  — 
  In 
  the 
  inorganic 
  acids 
  one 
  finds 
  

   very 
  free 
  ionization, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  so 
  free 
  that 
  in 
  HC1 
  and 
  other 
  

   halogen 
  acids, 
  nitric 
  acid 
  and 
  sulphuric 
  acid, 
  practically 
  com- 
  

   plete 
  dissociation 
  exists 
  at 
  their 
  death-limits 
  for 
  lupines. 
  Since 
  

   the 
  toxic-values 
  of 
  these 
  acids 
  are 
  essentially 
  alike, 
  6400 
  for 
  

   each 
  H 
  atom 
  of 
  the 
  molecule 
  (1), 
  it 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  they 
  possess 
  in 
  

   common 
  a 
  component 
  of 
  great 
  intensity 
  of 
  action, 
  so 
  great 
  as 
  

   to 
  render 
  other 
  factors 
  negligible 
  in 
  comparison. 
  This 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  constituent 
  is 
  the 
  equivalent 
  quantity 
  of 
  H 
  ions 
  present. 
  

   In 
  view 
  of 
  this 
  coincidence, 
  one 
  is 
  safe 
  in 
  inferring 
  that 
  the 
  

  

  death-limit 
  for 
  H 
  ions 
  lies 
  at 
  about 
  6400 
  for 
  the 
  lupine. 
  

  

  The 
  sodium 
  salts 
  of 
  these 
  acids, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  tested, 
  agree 
  in 
  

   having 
  a 
  low 
  toxic-value 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  JN"aCl 
  is 
  as 
  nearly 
  harmless 
  

   to 
  lupines 
  as 
  any 
  salt 
  yet 
  tested, 
  having 
  its 
  death-limit 
  at 
  16. 
  

   Since 
  at 
  this 
  concentration 
  about 
  85 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  molecules 
  

   are 
  ionized, 
  16 
  represents 
  the 
  sum 
  of 
  the 
  toxic 
  activities 
  of 
  

  

  ISTa 
  ions 
  and 
  CI 
  ions 
  from 
  85 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  molecules 
  and 
  

   15 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  residual 
  molecules. 
  If 
  separated 
  into 
  their 
  

   respective 
  partial-toxicities, 
  one 
  would 
  expect 
  comparatively 
  

   slight 
  values 
  for 
  each 
  component. 
  

  

  Organic 
  Compounds. 
  — 
  As 
  a 
  rule 
  the 
  organic 
  compounds 
  

   offer 
  somewhat 
  greater 
  difficulties 
  than 
  the 
  inorganic 
  substances. 
  

   In 
  general, 
  ionization 
  of 
  the 
  molecule 
  is 
  seldom 
  complete 
  at 
  

   the 
  death-limit, 
  the 
  sodium 
  salts 
  usually 
  ionizing 
  more 
  freely 
  

   than 
  the 
  corresponding 
  acids. 
  Consequently 
  it 
  is 
  rare 
  that 
  the 
  

  

  effect 
  due 
  to 
  H 
  ions 
  is 
  relatively 
  as 
  great 
  as 
  in 
  HC1, 
  and 
  the 
  

   partial-toxicity 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  anions 
  and 
  undissociated 
  molecules 
  

   becomes 
  much 
  more 
  important. 
  In 
  some 
  cases 
  it 
  may 
  even 
  

  

  exceed 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  H 
  ions. 
  

  

  Fatty 
  Series. 
  — 
  In 
  the 
  examples 
  from 
  the 
  fatty 
  series 
  exam- 
  

   ined, 
  one 
  finds 
  considerable 
  diversity 
  in 
  the 
  results 
  obtained. 
  

   Formic 
  acid 
  is 
  distinctly 
  the 
  most 
  toxic 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  

   and 
  undergoes 
  likewise 
  a 
  distinctly 
  greater 
  degree 
  of 
  ioniza- 
  

   tion, 
  — 
  70 
  per 
  cent 
  as 
  against 
  from 
  15 
  per 
  cent 
  to 
  18 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  

   the 
  other 
  acids. 
  The 
  result 
  is 
  a 
  distinct 
  prominence 
  relatively 
  

  

  and 
  absolutely 
  of 
  the 
  EL 
  component 
  and 
  a 
  correspondingly 
  

   reduced 
  effect 
  due 
  to 
  anions 
  and 
  undissociated 
  molecules. 
  

  

  The 
  sodium 
  salts 
  show 
  no 
  similar 
  differences 
  in 
  their 
  action, 
  

   the 
  formate, 
  propionate 
  and 
  butyrate 
  giving 
  identical 
  death- 
  

   limits. 
  The 
  acetate 
  is 
  as 
  weak 
  in 
  its 
  poisonous 
  action 
  as 
  any 
  

   organic 
  ISTa 
  salt 
  examined. 
  These 
  salts 
  all 
  undergo 
  roughly 
  the 
  

   same 
  degree 
  of 
  ionization, 
  but 
  from 
  10 
  per 
  cent 
  to 
  15 
  per 
  cent 
  

   of 
  residual 
  molecules 
  existing 
  in 
  the 
  solutions 
  at 
  the 
  death- 
  

  

  