446 THEOPHILUS S. PAINTER 



seem to be generally agreed that, in the ultimate analysis, the 

 problem of cell division is one for the colloidal chemist. On 

 the other hand, the morphological phenomena, which are ex- 

 pressions of chemical and physical changes, are extremely varied 

 in cells of different types, and any one familiar with the vast 

 amount of cytological literature which has accumulated the 

 last twenty years, must realize that scarcely any two authors 

 are in agreement as to the really essential features with which 

 the chemist must work. Simple morphological studies, while 

 extending our conception of the cell in its varied activities, 

 cannot bring us nearer to this goal. It is only by experimental 

 studies, such as the Hertwigs, Boveri, Wilson, Conklin, Mor- 

 gan, and others have given us that real progress has been made. 

 These authors have shown that much light may be gained by 

 subjecting one type of cell, such as an egg cell, to abnormal 

 conditions. When this is done the forces, which in normal 

 cleavage work synchronously, run their courses independently 

 and the experimental cytologist may sift out the essential from 

 the non-essential, and eventually formulate the questions which 

 the physical chemist must solve, as soon as the nature and 

 physical behavior of colloids are more thoroughly understood. 

 The present study was undertaken with the hope that an 

 analysis of monaster eggs would enable me to clear up some of 

 the confusion which has existed in cytology. The first part 

 of this work was undertaken at the suggestion of Theodor 

 Boveri, at Naples, during the spring of 1914. Here the ob- 

 servation on the living eggs were made and material for cyto- 

 logical study preserved. The experiments with the narcotic 

 were made at Woods Hole, Mass. While in Naples I enjoyed 

 the privilege of Professor Boveri' s experience and advice. The 

 observations on the living eggs were known to him but the re- 

 sults of the cytological study together with the conclusions 

 I have drawn from them, were not completed until after his 

 death. 



