The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13
RESEARCHES OF SCIENTISTS POINT
TO CAUSE OF MANY HUMAN ILLS

OF distilled water the duration Of life decreases
at FIRST only slightly with an increase in the
degree of dilution. But as socn as dilution
! of ten times is reached an abrupt decrease IN
the duration OF life takes place with further
dilution. Whether the curve OF the duration
OF life at this place is discontinuous is not yet
proven If the sea water be diluted with
| isotonic or weaker sugar solution the curve
OF the duration of life deviates little from that
with dilution by means OF distilled water.
Ce) III a pure sodium chloride solution, .sos-
motto with water or less concentrated the
respiratory movements OF Gammarus cease
about quickly in distilled water
A DEADLY SOLUTION.
I'D In a solution which contains all other
constituents Of the sea water. but no sodium
chloride. the animals die still more quickly
than in distilled water.
te) II q solution be employed which contains
NaCl IlCl and CaCl2 in the concentration in
which the salts of Ma. Ca and K are contained
tion for many days The addition of MgCi2
! lengthens the duration OF life still more; the
addition OF other constituents OF the sea water
seems. however, to have no further power OF
proonging the life of the animals.
% 1t follows from these facts that in the
first place the sodium chloride contained IN the
sea water is poisonous when it alone is pres
ent; and Gammarus dies quickly in such
solution. The toxicty OF the NaCl is pre-
vented by the Ca and X salts contained in
the water When present alone the K and
| Ca ions contained in the sea water also
| toxic effect is counteracted by the sodium
chloride contained in the sea water.
(gWFor the mutual counteraction or these
poisonous effects 1t is necessary that the con-
centration of the salts ions which act an
tagonistically should stand in a definite rela-
| tion to another. This relation represents
/ approximately that in which they in nor
NAL sea water. If one takes a solution in
| which the sodium chloride Is diluted tenfold
while K and Ca present in the concentrA-
! tion in which they exist in normal sea water,
the animals die in such solution in about a
quarter OF hour
SALT SOLUTION BALANCED.
If. however. a solution of the salts be
used in which not only the sodium chloride
but also the X and Ca salts are diluted ten
fold the animals may live hve houfJ. These
! facts support the theory already advanced by
an earlier date that the water IS a
physiologicay balanced salt solution for the
animals contained in it and that the serum of
animal is q similar solution in relation to
the tissues OF the animal. II is n solution in
which there is a mutual prevention of the poi
sonous actions. which the individual constitu-
ents have il they are alone in solution.
If the changes OF the concentration OF the
individual constituents OF such a physiolog-
ically balanced solution take place within GER
tain narrow limits call forth I'm the
tissues properties which they do not normally
possess. such the artificial parthenogenesIs
rhythmical twitchngs and the increase in the
irritHbility OF the muscles and nerves. I am
OF the opinion that this point of view will
prove fruitful in pathology especially In the
study Of nervous diseases).
(h) The experiments give ground for the
idea that the toxic action OF distilled water
and the sugar solution Gammarus depends
essentially the fact that electrolytes or
tagonistic salts or ions takes place with ua-
equal rapdty in unequal relations. Such
disturbance of the relations OF the concentra-
tion Of antagonistc salts or ions in the tissues
of the animals must hasten the onset Of death.
e~t1l