STUDIES ON THE ACCELERATION AND INHIBITION OF HÆMOLYSIS.—I. THE INHIBITION OF SAPONIN AND TAUROCHOLATE HÆMOLYSIS BY SUCROSE

1. Curves expressing the relation between the amount of isotonic NaC1 and the amount of isotonic sucrose in the haemolytic system and the value of the resistance constant have been obtained for both saponin and sodium taurocholate hæmolysis. 2. The form of these curves indicates that the rate of change of the resistance constant is inversely proportional to the completeness of the system with respect to the electrolyte NaC1. 3. The results also imply that neither saponin nor sodium taurocholate will produce hæmolysis in a system in which all of the electrolyte is replaced by isotonic sucrose. 4. Such electrolyte‐free systems have not been obtained, since the replacement of all the electrolyte NaC1 of a human red cell suspension by isotonic sucrose itself results in hsemolysis. 5. The local inactivity (i.e. the value of I) of sodium taurocholate in concentrations of about 1 in 1000 passes through a maximum and finally tends to disappear as increasingly greater amounts of isotonic sucrose are contained in the system. 6. Changes in the value of the resistance constant R are readily produced by variations in the method of formation of the haemolytic system.