Phenomena of Clot Formations. 



179 



The Antagonistic Action of Salts. 



In the former paper mention was made of the fact that sodium cholate 

 solutions will set to a gel on the addition of large amounts of sodium 

 chloride in the absence of calcium salts. Attempts were made to investigate 

 the combined action of the two salts, and it was found that sodium chloride, 

 when present in relatively small amounts, instead of accelerating the gel- 

 forming action of calcium salts, exerted a marked inhibitory effect. 



In the first series of experiments on this subject attempts were made to 

 measure the clotting time in the presence of calcium salts and varying 

 quantities of sodium and other salts by the method described in the earlier 

 paper. The concentration of calcium chloride chosen was N/40, but the 

 clot-formation was so gradual under the conditions chosen that no accurate 

 results could be obtained. Attempts were therefore made to ascertain the 

 amounts of various salts which were necessary to inhibit entirely clot- 

 formation when the various mixtures were heated in a thermostat at 50°. 

 The effect of the four following salts on the clot formation by calcium 

 chloride was investigated — sodium, potassium, lithium, and magnesium 

 chlorides. 



The following series of mixtures were made : — 



(a) 2 c.c. of 4 per cent, sodium cholate sol. + - 5 c.c. N/5 CaCl 2 sol. + 1*5 c.c. N salt sol. 

 (*) » » » » » 7N/9 „ 



( c ) » » » » » 5N/9 „ 



(«0 » » » „ „ 3N/9 „ 



The concentration of the cholate in such mixtures was therefore 2 per 

 cent., and of the calcium chloride N/40. The concentrations of the other 

 salts were in (a) 9/24 N, (6) 7/24 N, (c) 5/24 N, and (d) 3/24 N. It was 

 found that after these mixtures had stood for \ hour in a thermostat at 

 50°, no clots had formed in (a), (b), or (c), whereas the clot formation in 

 (d) was complete. No quantitative difference could be detected between the 

 inhibitory action of the chlorides of lithium, sodium, potassium, or magnesium 

 on the clot formation in the presence of calcium chloride. In all cases a 

 concentration of 5/24 N was sufficient to delay completely the clot forma- 

 tion for I hour, whereas the concentration 3/24 N was insufficient. 



The solutions of these salts also exert a considerable erosive action on the 

 cholate gel. This statement is illustrated by the following experiments : 

 A gel was formed by heating 2 c.c. of 4 per cent, sodium cholate solution 

 + - 5 c.c. N/5 calcium chloride solution + 1-5 c.c. water in capillary tubes 

 by the same method as that already described in the experiments on the 

 erosive action of narcotics. Two lengths, each of 25 mm., were then 



