THE

COAGULATION

OF ALBUMEN
Physical Laboratory Cambridge.)

BY PRESSURE.
University,

BY P. W. BRIDGMAN.
(From the Jefferson of Harvard

(Received for publication:

October 20, 1914.)

The purpose of this note is to state a fact of possible biological interest which I have discovered incidentally in the course of other work. If the white of an egg is subjected to hydrostatic pressure at room temperature, it becomes coagulated, presenting an appearance much like that of a hard boiled egg. The albumen was enclosed in a nickel-steel case, and pressure transmitted to it by mercury. The high pressure apparatus was that which I have already described.l Pressure may be applied so slowly that the rise of temperature due to the compression is inappreciable. At room temperature (20) the limits of pressure necessary to produce the coagulation were fairly well marked. A pressure of 5000 atmospheres (75,000 pounds per square inch) applied for thirty minutes produced a perceptible stiffening of the white, but little more; 6000 atmospheres for thirty minutes produced a coagulation in appearance like curdled milk; while 7000 for thirty minutes resulted in apparently complete coagulation, the white being capable of standing under its own weight. If the duration of the pressure of 5000 was increased to one hour, the coagulation was only slightly increased in amount. 3000 atmospheres applied for sixteen hours produced a barely perceptible thickening of the white. The effect of temperature, which is not large, seemsto be such that the ease of coagulation increases at low temperatures, contrary to what one might expect. 6000 atmospheres applied at 0 for one hour produced a somewhat greater stiffening than would have been produced at 20. Pressures considerably higher than 7000 did not alter the effect. The first time I tried the experiment was with a pressure of 12,000
Proc.

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Amer. Acad.

of

Arts and Sciences, xlix, p. 627, 1914. 511

512

Coagulation

of Albumen

by Pressure

atmospheres for twenty minutes; the resulting product was indistinguishable in appearance from that produced by 7000. A pressure of 12,000 at 20 was high enough to compel the water to freeze to a modification of ice, ice VI, denser than water. It is interesting that the coagulated white had not apparent-ly been affected by this freezing. I have made no attempt to determine whether the nature of the coagulation produced by pressure is the same as that produced by heat. If one can judge by appearances, the two may be different. In the course of twenty-four hours there separates from the pressure-coagulated white a small quantity of some watery fluid, in which the coagulated part remains insoluble.

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