182 Investigations dealing with Phenomena of Clot Formations. 



the suggestion already made by the author, that the action of narcotics, 

 cytolytic substances, etc., is due, not to the action on lipoids, as is demanded 

 by the hypotheses of Overton and Hans Meyer, but to their action on some 

 gel-forming substance contained in the magma which holds together the 

 heterogeneous system containing lipoids, proteins, etc., which forms the 

 basis of the cell membrane where such a differentiated structure exists, or 

 even of the whole cytoplasm. A disintegration of the gel structure in the cell 

 by narcotics and cytolytic substances would cause an alteration in the state 

 of aggregation of the heterogeneous system, and an entire derangement of 

 the functions of the cell. If a differentiated cell membrane exists a dis- 

 aggregation of its gel would alter the permeability. On this hypothesis, 

 furthermore, the biological antagonism of certain salts can be explained, 

 which is not possible with the acceptance of the lipoid theory of Overton 

 and Meyer, unless it is assumed that the salts act on a constituent other 

 than the lipoids. Such an assumption has actually been made by Jacques 

 Loeb to explain the antagonistic action of certain salts in cases which are 

 mentioned above ; this investigator suggests that the salts influence the state 

 of aggregation of the proteins. 



These instances of biological action of salts, and the analogous facts 

 discovered in the study of the cholate gel, appear to throw some light on the 

 general structure of cell-membranes and cytoplasm. They suggest that these 

 are constituted by a heterogeneous system held together in a magma 

 containing a gel-forming substance possessing many of the physical properties 

 of the cholate gel which have been described in the last two communications 

 dealing with the clot formations from cholate solutions. This hypothesis 

 suggests an explanation not only of the action of organic substances, but also 

 of certain actions of inorganic salts. 



Summary. 



It is shown that there is a marked similarity between certain vital activities 

 of cells and the behaviour of cholate gel. 



1. The erosive action of certain organic substances on the cholate gel runs 

 parallel with their narcotic and cytolytic actions. 



2. Gel formation by calcium chloride is inhibited by sodium, magnesium 

 and other chlorides. The same substances can also cause gel erosion, but the 

 erosive action can be antagonised by the addition of relatively small amounts 

 of calcium salts. 



3. To explain the parallelism between certain biological actions of organic 

 substances and the antagonistic action of inorganic salts on the one hand 

 and the action of these substances on the cholate gel on the other hand it 



