484 MAX MOESE 



Discussion of experiments dealing with artificial parthenogenesis 



Table 1, showing the details of the experiments which were 

 conducted to show what the behavior of Cerebratulus eggs would 

 be to the reagents which have been used in artificial parthenogene- 

 sis, may be summarized as follows : 



1. The reagent most successful and most certain of results was 

 found to be saponin, which has been introduced into this work 

 by Jacques Loeb ('98). The power of this amorphous glucoside 

 is doubtless wholly that of a dehydrating agent, absorbing water 

 from the eggs and therefore not chemical in its action. 



2. The combination of saponin to induce maturation and some 

 of the other agents to carry segmentation farther than the 2 

 or 4-cell stage gave no favorable results, although a large num- 

 ber were tried, including CO2 (which is efficient in producing the 

 early morula stages, but none farther) ; hypertonic solutions, 

 with NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2; acids, mineral and organic, of 

 the latter, both mono -basic and bi-basic; oxygen and the lack of 

 oxygen, etc. 



3. Among other reagents which induced artificial parthenogen- 

 esis are HCl, butyric acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid. Of these 

 organic acids, Loeb's theory concerning the role of the OH ion 

 seems to be carried out as far as they are concerned, for the higher 

 one goes from the mono-basic butyric, through dibasic oxalic acid 

 to the derivative di-hydroxy-acid* the (i-tartaric, the more efficient 



^ The relations between these acids may be presented here for reference : 

 (Acetic acid) CH3. COOH 

 Butyric acid CH3.CH2.CH2.COOH 

 Oxalic acid COOH.COOH 



(Succinic acid) COOH.CH2.CH2.COOH (to show relations of) 

 Tartaric acid COOH.CH.O.CHoO.COOH 

 Tartaric acid, according to the principle of LeBel-van't Hoff must exist in 

 four different forms, since it has two asymmetrical carbon atoms (asj-mmeti-ical 

 atoms marked *) 



COOH 



I 

 H-C*-OH 



I 

 *CHOH. COOH 

 The commercial tartaric is dextro-rotary. Whether its effectiveness in arti- 

 ficial parthenogenesis has anything to do with its optical activity, is not known, 

 but it is possible. 



