E. I. IvANOPF 245 



Consequently, in order to jirovide for all the available mares stud- 

 stallions, it woidd be necessary either to increase the number of the 

 latter at least a hundred times, or to increase the productivity of the 

 present number as many times. The former, in view of the present 

 economic conditions, cannot be realised even to the extent of 1 % of the 

 requirements; the latter, though not fully, yet to a considerable degree 

 can be reached by putting systematically into wide practice the method 

 of artificial insemination which enables more than 300 mares to be 

 inseminated during the pairing season by one stallion, instead of 25-30. 

 The same applies to all other live stock. 



The aim of the present article is to show what has been achieved in 

 Russia with this method and to indicate the possibilities connected with 

 the practical side of this work. 



Under the term "artificial insemination" as applied to Mammals, 

 and in particular domestic animals, is understood the introduction, by 

 artificial means, of the semen of the male into the vagina of the female. 

 The seminal cells or spermatozoa can be introduced either (1) in their 

 natural medium, i.e. in the secretion of accessory sexual glands, or (2) in 

 an artificial medium (physiological solution, Locke's fluid, serum, etc.). 

 In either case the essential conditions of fertilization are the natural 

 fundamental jirocesses and conditions: the maturity of sexual products, 

 for examjale, their viability, etc. must remain unchanged. The only 

 difEerence is that in artificial insemination the fate of the secreted male 

 sexual cells is held in the hands of man, who can divide the collected 

 material into parts and inject it into the female sexual organs by means 

 of instruments (catheter, syringe). Thus, in the case of Mammals, strictly 

 speaking, it is not a method of artificial fertilization, but of artificial 

 insemination. 



The possibiUty of artificial impregnation by means of natural sperm 

 was demonstrated long before my work by the famous Italian man of 

 science, Spallanzani. The small number of carefully worked experiments 

 on animals and lack of experience on the technical side for a long time 

 prevented this method from gaining due importance in the practices of 

 applied zoology. 



With regard to the second method of insemination, i.e. by means of 

 an artificial medium, the very possibility of such a method was denied 

 by some until my works appeared. Those who wish to get acquainted 

 with the history and technical side of the subject will find detailed in- 

 formation in these works and in the memoirs referred to at the end of this 

 paper. ...... . . .. . , 



