THE SPERMATIC FILAMENTS. 297 



from one to four hours. Among these may be enumerated solutions of — 

 common salt ; chloride of potassium ; sal ammoniac ; nitrate of soda ; 

 nitrate of potass, containing 1 part to 100 : moreover, solutions containing 

 from 5 to 10 parts in 100 of phosphate of soda ; sulphate of soda ; sulphate 

 of magnesia ; chloride of barium. As regards some of these salts, the fact 

 had been previously noticed by older writers, and more recently by 

 Quatrefages, Newport, and Ankermann. Solutions unduly diluted have 

 the same effect as water, and cause the formation of loops, hut the filaments 

 are revived upon the addition of a concentrated solution of the same salts 

 and of indifferent substances (sugar, urea, &c.). Stronger saline solutions 

 than are required, also interfere with the motions ; but, in this case like- 

 wise, the filaments are capable of revival upon the addition of water. 

 These salts can scarcely be regarded jiroperly as revivifiers, as was asserted 

 not long since by Moleschott and llicchetti (vide p. 294), for filaments 

 which have become quiescent in indifferent substances, as sugar, for 

 instance, are not revivified again by them ; and their action is widely 

 different from that of the real excitants — the caustic alkalies. It cannot 

 be denied that their influence is very favourable, and that (but perhaps 

 owing only to their rapid diffusion in the water) they produce motion in a 

 seminal mass more rapidly than other less diffusible substances, such as 

 sugar and albumen ; on which account the above-named authors ascribe 

 revivifying properties to them— a fact which, before them, had been made 

 known, as regards common salt, by Quatrefages, and by Newport, for 

 carbonate of soda and potass ; which latter salts, moreover, in my experi- 

 ments, caused the motion to cease in 10' or 15', almost like the caustic 

 alkalies. 



10. Acids, even in very small quantity, are injurious ; such as hj'dro- 

 chloric acid, in the proportion of ^m- 



11. Caustic alkalies (soda, potass, and ammonia, not lime and barytes), 

 in all degrees of concentration, from ^ to ^ are special excitants of the 

 spermatic filaments. Whether the latter have become quiescent spon- 

 taneously, as in old semen, or have ceased to move in indifferent solutions, 

 the above substances recall the most active movements which are not dis- 

 tinguishable from the vital. But these motions cease after two or three 

 minutes, and from this quiescence the filaments cannot be roused by any 

 means. When mixed with indifferent substances in small jiroportions 

 (from jj^ to 5^5), as, for instance, in syrup, the caustic alkalies afford 

 a means by whicli the motions of the spermatic filaments may be main- 

 tained for a long time. 



12. Semen dried in indifferent substances, and in saline solutions, may, 

 in certain cases, have its motion restored by dilution with the same fluid, 

 or with water. 



So much, as regards the Mammalia, with which, so far as 

 the author has had an opportunity of observing, the Birds 

 correspond in all essential particulars. In the Amphibia, 

 as, for instance, in the Frog, a difference was so far observable 

 that the spermatic filaments, owing to their chemical cimsti- 

 tution, required less concentrated solutions, in order to exhibit 

 tlieir natural motion On this account water and aqueous 

 solutions have very slightly-deleterious effects on them ; and 

 greater dilution is requisite in the saline solutions, in order 

 to exhibit the movements, than in the Mammalia. That is 

 to say, one- half per cent, solutions of common salt ; chloride 



