574 



The Osmotic Balance of Skeletal Muscle. 



to a solute shows first an intake of solvent and later, as the solute escapes, a 

 loss. If this were the sole cause, then the secondary loss of water would be 

 due,, either directly or indirectly, to loss of carbonic acid, for this is the only 

 known solute which can escape into the vapour. 



It must be pointed out that these experiments cannot be used to calculate 

 the vapour pressure of the muscle substance because of the error in weighing 

 mentioned above, and because the rise of the vapour pressure of the muscle 

 due to curvature of the surfaces is included. 



Summari/. 



1. The sternocutaneous muscle of the frog, immersed in a hypotonic 

 solution of Kinger's fluid, of biose, dextrose, sucrose, raffinose, or of NaCl 

 undergoes first a gain in weight and later a loss. 



In a hypertonic solution the weight falls from the start. 



2. The initial gain in weight in hypotonic solutions or even in distilled water 

 can be reduced and finally suppressed by previously exposing the muscle to 

 wet oxygen. 



3. Muscles absorb water from an atmosphere of hydrogen and water 

 vapour, but not from one of oxygen and water vapour. In the latter a fall 

 in weight was observed. 



