xe Scientific Proceedings 
ADSORPTION PHENOMENA IN COAGULATION. 
By G. H. A. CLOWES. 
(From the Gratwick Laboratory, Buffalo.) 
Physical quality and speed of formation of blood clot appear 
to depend upon the degree of dispersion of reacting colloids and 
their initial and final solution concentrations. Much previous 
work on coagulation is invalidated owing to failure to recognize 
the extent to which individual coagulation factors are influenced 
by very slight variations in hydrogen ion content of the medium 
in the absence of the buffer system. 
Precipitated or colloidal barium sulfate, calcium oxalate, etc., 
may be used to fractionate coagulation factors. Prothrombin is 
strongly adsorbed by these substances. Adsorption is propor- 
tional to the degree of dispersion of the adsorbent and is depen- 
dent apparently upon presence of unsaturated lipoids like cepha- 
lin, thus indicating probable surface réle of lipoids in coagulation 
processes and affording a quantitative method of estimating 
prothrombin and lipoid. 
SALT METABOLISM IN DIABETES. 
By A. H. BEARD anp L. G. ROWNTREE. 
(From the Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.) 
An investigation was undertaken to determine the cause of the 
‘gain of weight in diabetes during starvation and on low carbohy- 
drate intake. Gains up to 10 and 12 pounds were encountered 
during periods of low caloric intake. Edema developed in three 
cases in a series of twenty-five. 
It was found that diabetic patients allowed to use table salt 
ad libitum consumed frequently very large quantities, as high as 
40 gm. a day in one instance. Salt and fluid balance charts were 
constructed and correlated with a weight chart. In some cases 
it was shown that the gain in weight and development of edema 
were synchronous with, and in all likelihood dependent upon 
retention of salt and water. 
In one case with restricted sodium chloride intake, but taking 
large quantities of sodium bicarbonate, retention of fluid and 
