THE ELECTRODIALYSIS OF HUMAN BLOOD SERUM

Abstract

The removal of electrolytes from a sol by means of an electric current has been termed by Ruppel (1) "Electrosmose" and by Pauli (2) as electrodialysis.The latter term is more acceptable.The utilization of the electric current in dialysis causes a speeding up of the rate of migration of the diffusible ions through membranes.This paper reports the results of the electrodialysis of human blood serum and its effect upon the sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.Many investigations of ordinary dialysis of blood serum against distilled water and various salt solutions (compensatory dialysis) have been recorded.The investigators have attempted to measure the diffusible ions, using collodion, parchment, or other suitable membranes.Their results were of variable character.Rona and Takahashi (3), by compensation dialysis of horse, cow, and pig serum found 60 to 75 per cent of the calcium, and practically all of the phosphate diffusible.Ashner and Rosenfeld (4), who diffused serum against distilled water, concluded that all the chloride was diffusable, and that it was not in any form of combination with the serum.Cushney (5) filtered serum, using collodion membranes, and reported that salts, sugar, and urea occurred in the filtrate in the same proportions as in the original serum, the only exceptions being calcium and possibly magnesium, which pass through in a lower concentration than exists in serum.He suggests that the calcium and magnesium exist in some form of combination with the proteins.Von Meysenbug (6) and his coworkers, using parchment membranes and dialyzing against calcium-free Ringer's solution, noted that a progressive diffusion 113