Abstract
Hemolysis in hypotonic solutions is progressively increased as the temperature is decreased from thirty seven degrees centigrade to five degrees centigrade. In order to bring out this fact, that modification of Hamburger's method for testing the resistance of erythrocytes, which was introduced by Theobald Smith, was used. The solutions were brought to the required temperature and then the corpuscles were added. The differences are present both at the points of beginning and complete hemolysis, but are only well marked at the intermediate points. This accounts for results obtained by Hamburger (1887 and 1903) who held that temperature within these limits was without influence.
The effect of temperature is the same whether sodium chloride or cane-sugar is used to give tonicity to the fluid. The corpuscles of the horse, rabbit, guinea-pig, calf, and sheep are equally affected. The differences become well marked after a few minutes—exposure to the different temperatures, and thereafter bringing them to one temperature fails to equalize the hemolysis even after many hours. The effect, then, is on the corpuscle rather than on the surrounding fluid and is exerted chiefly in the first moments of exposure.
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