The Relative Reaction Within Living Mammalian Tissues

Abstract

By a variety of methods necrosis of individual cells was produced in the living animal. Cell death was found to be clearly perceptible by means of the changes in the color of segregated erythrolitmin at a time when it was not as yet recognizable by ordinary histological methods. The hue of the dye pointed to an alteration in the direction of alkalinity; but the extent of this could not be determined owing to the limited range of the indicator Cartilage damaged by freezing in situ becomes alkaline, its reaction now approximating that of the blood. The findings support the view that within the body the autolysis of individual cells and of small tissue masses may take place under the circumstances of a slight alkalinity.