206 W. E. BURGE AND E. L. BURGE 
fertilized egg, and hence for the development of the egg, would 
seem to be that the spermatozoon furnishes a substance which 
stimulates the egg to an increased formation of catalase. Fur- 
ther evidence that might be presented in support of this view is 
afforded by the fact that the very same chemicals (amines, 
alkalies, acetates, butyric acid, etc.) which Loeb found would 
bring about increased oxidation and artificial parthenogenetic 
development of the egg, we found, when introduced into the 
alimentary tract of animals, stimulated the alimentary glands, 
particularly the liver, to an increased output of catalase with 
resulting increase in oxidation. 
SUMMARY 
The low rate of oxidation in the unfertilized ovum is attributed 
to its low catalase content. The increased oxidation in the 
fertilized ovum, with resulting development, is attributed to 
an increase in catalase brought about by the stimulation of 
the egg to an augumented production of this enzyme* by the 
spermatozoon. 
Similarly, the increase in the respiratory metabolism or oxi- 
dation in youth and decrease in old age is attributed to the 
increase in catalase in the young and its decrease in the aged. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
1 Hasselbalch 1904 Bibliotek for laeger, Copenhagen, vol. 8, p. 219. 
2 Magnus-Levy und Talk 1899 Arch. f. Anat. u. Physiol., Suppl. 315. 
3 Warburg 1908 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., Bd. 57, No. 6. 
4 BuRGE 1918 Am. Jour. Physiol., vol. 45, no. 4; vol. 47, nos. 1 and 3. 
5 WiNTERNiTZ AND RoGERS 1910 Jour. Exper. Med., vol. 12, no. 12. 
6 Battelli e Stearn 1905 Arch, di Fisiol., T. 2, p. 471. 
7 Loeb 1913 Artificial parthenogenesis and fertilization. University of Chi- 
cago Press. 
8 Lillie 1910 Am. Jour. Physiol, vol. 27, p. 289. 
