A LIPO-GEL REACTION'. 225 



This coagulum is produced at all temperatures between 10 C. 

 and 56 C. ; higher temperatures are unfavorable for the reaction. 

 After its formation the coagulum persists at temperatures to 

 100 C. The fluid around the coagulum produces a second 

 coagulum when heated to 72 C. 



2. When follicular fluid is mixed with spermatozoa only, the 

 results are not uniform. For example in one series of 90 tests, 

 the result was negative in 43 cases, positive in 36 cases, and 

 uncertain in 10 cases. But if the spermatozoa are mixed with 

 0.9 per cent, sodium chloride solution the reaction is more 

 certainly obtained. For instance in a series of 242 tests, 41 

 were negative, 198 positive, and 3 uncertain. Furthermore in 

 many cases in which the reaction failed to appear, using follicular 

 fluid and spermatozoa alone, the coagulum was produced upon 

 the addition of 0.9 per cent, sodium chloride solution to the 

 mixture. 



This result suggested that the salts which are normally present 

 in the follicular fluid play an important role in the reaction. 

 The effect upon the reaction of several salts which commonly 

 occur in organic liquids was thereupon tested. The following 

 salts singly or in mixtures were tried: NaCl, KC1, CaCl 2 , MgCU, 

 LiCl, NaHCO 3 , KHCO 3 , and CaCO 3 . All of these gave a 

 negative result. Only sodium chloride is able to favor and 

 accelerate the reaction. 



Since, however, there were a number of negative cases even 

 after the addition of sodium chloride, an explanation for the 

 failure of the reaction in these cases was sought. It was found 

 that the reaction always occurs when the constituents are 

 employed in certain definite quantities. After numerous tests, 

 the following proportions were found to be successful in nearly 

 all cases: 0.9 per cent, sodium chloride, o.i cc.; follicular fluid, 

 0.2 cc.; dry sperm, o.i cc. In a series of 128 tests using these 

 proportions only four tests were negative. 



The role of these proportions in the reaction may be illustrated 

 graphically as in Fig. I. If too much sodium chloride is added 

 to the same amount of sperm, then the dilution of the sperm is 

 too great and the reaction fails to appear. On the other hand if 

 the quantity of sperm is excessive, then the action of the salt 



