176 



Investigations dealing with the Phenomena of Clot Formations. 

 Part III. — Further Investigations of the Cholate Gel. 

 By S. B. Schryver, Assistant Professor in the Imperial College of Science. 



(Communicated by Prof. V. H. Blackman, F.R.S. Received November 15, 1915.) 



In the last communication it was shown that sodium cholate solutions 

 readily set to a gel when heated to 50° in the presence of a calcium salt, and 

 that gel formation is inhibited by the presence of various substances, the 

 inhibitory action of which runs very nearly parallel with their narcotic action 

 and their power of producing cytolysis or exosmosis from living cells.* 



These observations are amplified in the present communication by the 

 investigation of the action of the same series of substances on the disintegra- 

 tion of the gel, and of the antagonistic action of certain salts as regards 

 gel formation. 



The Disintegration of the Cholate Gel. 



Method of Experiment. — A mixture of 2e.c. of 4-per-cent. solution of sodium 

 cholate, 05 c.c. of N/5 calcium chloride and 1*5 c.c. of water was introduced 

 into a capillary tube of 2 mm. internal diameter bent into the shape of a U. 

 This was then placed in a thermostat at 50°, and heated for £ hour, after 

 which interval the contents had set to a firm gel. The tube was removed 

 from the thermostat and, when cool, cut into lengths of 25 mm. These 

 contained a 2-per-cent. cholate gel with calcium chloride of the concentration 

 of N/40. Single lengths were then introduced into small Erlenmeyer flasks 

 of about 20 c.c, capacity containing 10 c.c. of solutions of varying strengths 

 of the substances under investigation in N/40 calcium chloride solution. 

 After an interval of 16 hours, the capillary tubes were removed from these 

 solutions, and the erosion of the gel from both ends of the tube was measured. 

 The method employed was analogous to that suggested by Mett for measuring 

 the digestive power of solution of proteoclastic ferments. 



The results obtained are recorded in Table I. The gramme-molecular 

 equivalents per litre are calculated from the specific gravities of the 

 substances and the solutions determined in the course of the earlier series of 

 investigations. 



* 'Eoy. Soc. Proc.,' B, vol. 87, p. 366. 



