602 
DE. A. GAMGEE ON THE ACTION OF NITEITES ON BLOOD. 
In 100 parts of gas. 
Carbonic acid 
1*06 
Oxygen 
20-97 
Nitrogen 
77*97 
100-00 
Vol. of air before contact . =2712 vols. =30-211 cub. centims. at 0°C. and 0 m -76. 
„ after contact . =271*5 „ =30*245 „ „ „ 
Vol. of oxygen in gas before exp. (calculated)=56*84 
,, after experiment (found) . =56-89 
In this case spectrum analysis proved that the blood had been fully acted upon by 
the nitrite. There had been no absorption of oxygen by the blood ; the only changes 
had consisted in the diffusion of a little carbonic acid out of, and nitrogen into the blood. 
III. The jugular vein of a dog was opened and the blood allowed to flow r into a 
beaker. It was stirred with a glass rod so as to separate the fibrin, care being taken to 
shake it as little as possible, so as not to favour its arterialization. When the fibrin had 
been separated, the blood still preserved a very venous colour. 
A syringeful, viz. 20 cub. centims., of this blood was introduced into a laboratory-tube, 
then 5 cub. centims. of a solution of nitrite of sodium were added to it. The blood and 
nitrite were agitated together, and allowed to remain in contact for two hours. At the 
end of that time air, which had been measured in the eudiometer, was transferred to the 
laboratory-tube and agitated with the mixture of blood and nitrite. 
Immediately after the agitation the colour of the blood became much darker. After 
twenty hours’ contact the gas was decanted, measured, and analyzed. 
Volume of blood taken 20 cub. centims. 
Vol. of air before contact 238-5 vols. 
,, after contact 240*5 „ 
After absorption of carbonic acid . . 240'5 „ 
After addition of hydrogen 363*8 „ 
After explosion 224*6 „ 
In 100 parts of gas. 
Oxygen 19-28 
Nitrogen .... 80*72 
100*00 
Vol. of air before contact 238*5 vols. =43*16 cub. centims. at 0°C. and 0 m, 76. 
Oxygen present in the gas before contact (calc.) 49*98 vols. 
„ „ after contact . . 46*40 „ 
3*58 vols. =0*66 cub. centim. at 0°C.'. 
1 In this case as the gas was measured at a different division of the eudiometer, the absolute volume as compared 
with the arbitrary volume is different from that mentioned in the note to Observation I. 
