1906.] The Chemistry of Globulin. 149 



Let x be the number of atoms of C in the molecule of globulin, then 



12s = 0-5271M, (23) 



and also 



■{•♦&(« • *?♦• • T+° ■ 2 W^ - 1 ! )} - * <» 



These four equations (21, 22, 23, 24) give us the four unknowns v,x, B, and 

 M. The best way of solving them is to give v integral values, and find which 

 value makes the four equations as consistent as possible within permissible 

 limits of error. With v = 1 (21) gives M = 20,000, and then (22) gives 

 B = 2744, which in (24) yields x = 147*7, and this in (23) makes M = 3362. 

 As they stand, the two values of M, namely 20,000 and 3362, are inconsistent. 

 If v = 2, the first becomes 40,000 and the second 8 x 3362 or 26,896. For 

 v = 3 the comparison is between 60,000 and 3362 x 27 or 90,774. No value 

 of v above 3 is permissible. Hence the choice for the formula of globulin is 

 between one which makes it a dibasic acid of molecular mass about 40,000 

 and another which makes it a tribasic acid of molecular mass about 60,000. 

 Let us inquire what changes in the experimental data would make the four 

 •equations strictly consistent for v = 2 and v = 3. The most uncertain 

 number is Hardy's valuable datum /j, = 10. For a transparent opalescent 

 dialysed solution of NaOH globulin he found fi =7*66 and estimated 10 as 

 the probable limit to which the value would rise with complete ionisation of 

 the compound. But his solution being opalescent, there must have been some 

 electric endosmose such as he found with HA globulin, for which it raised /t 

 up to 23. In the observed 7'66 for NaOH globulin there is already some 

 compensation of errors, and it is an open question whether the limit is more 

 or less than 10. It is easy to calculate the value of jju in (20) which would 

 make v = 2 and M = 40,000 satisfy (21, 23, 24). It is 8'76. So f or v = 3 

 and M = 60,000 we should need p = 1T50. Hence the decision between the 

 two alternatives should be reached by a sharper determination of the ionic 

 velocity of globulin or by its coefficient of diffusion, or preferably by both of 

 these methods. Probably 8 '7 6 is the better value for p. With this and 

 v = 2 and M = 40,000 we get x = 1756. Hence the formula of globulin is 

 C1756H2804N452O584S14, 



This formula of the globulin molecule furnishes a molecular mass 1*22 times 

 that given above for egg albumin obtained from the Graham-Stefan 

 coefficient of diffusion. That formula can be greatly simplified for discussion 

 if we replace the number of carbon atoms 1436 by the round number 1440, 

 the 2364 of H by 2400, the 359 of N by 360, and the 482 of O by 480, and 

 neglect for a while the 15 for S. These changes keep the percentage com- 



