﻿MATUliATION, 
  ETC., 
  OP 
  THE 
  EGG 
  OF 
  THK 
  AXOf.OTL. 
  465 
  

  

  beaten 
  up 
  but 
  unfiltered 
  (wliich 
  of 
  course 
  contains 
  much 
  solid 
  

   matter), 
  a 
  mixture 
  in 
  equal 
  parts 
  of 
  1 
  per 
  cent, 
  gelatin 
  and 
  

   albiimen, 
  and 
  filtered 
  albumen 
  mixed 
  witli 
  a 
  little 
  yolk 
  of 
  

   egg. 
  With 
  the 
  first 
  both 
  picric 
  and 
  metaphosphoric 
  acid 
  

   (about 
  1 
  per 
  cent.) 
  will 
  give 
  off 
  radial 
  tubes 
  in 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  

   the 
  liquid 
  ; 
  with 
  the 
  second, 
  gum 
  and 
  picric, 
  metaphosphoric 
  

   acid 
  and 
  crystals 
  of 
  salt 
  and 
  ammonium 
  sulphate 
  ; 
  with 
  the 
  

   third, 
  metaphosphoric 
  acid. 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  make 
  a 
  very 
  extended 
  

   series 
  of 
  trials. 
  

  

  In 
  none 
  of 
  these 
  cases 
  could 
  I 
  succeed 
  in 
  obtaining 
  such 
  

   fine 
  asters 
  as 
  in 
  thin 
  films 
  and 
  on 
  a 
  glass 
  slide 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  always 
  

   observed 
  that 
  the 
  tubular 
  outgrowths 
  developed 
  much 
  more 
  

   rapidly 
  when 
  they 
  could 
  run 
  along 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  fluid. 
  

  

  The 
  difficulty 
  of 
  getting 
  the 
  tubes 
  to 
  grow 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  bulk 
  

   of 
  the 
  liquid 
  depends 
  no 
  doubt 
  in 
  part 
  on 
  the 
  difference 
  in 
  

   specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  substances 
  employed, 
  the 
  drop 
  

   always 
  sinking 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  before 
  it 
  has 
  time 
  to 
  send 
  out 
  

   its 
  processes. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  due, 
  I 
  believe, 
  in 
  much 
  larger 
  

   measure 
  to 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  certain 
  very 
  essential 
  physical 
  

   conditions. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  have 
  been 
  noticed 
  that 
  the 
  reagents 
  selected 
  for 
  the 
  

   production 
  of 
  these 
  artificial 
  asters 
  are, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  

   gum, 
  all 
  crystalloid, 
  and 
  possessed 
  therefore 
  of 
  a 
  far 
  higher 
  

   osmotic 
  pressure 
  than 
  the 
  colloidal 
  solutions 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  

   are 
  placed. 
  They 
  were 
  indeed 
  chosen 
  for 
  this 
  very 
  reason 
  ; 
  

   for 
  I 
  was 
  under 
  the 
  impression 
  that 
  we 
  had 
  here 
  to 
  do 
  simply 
  

   with 
  phenomena 
  of 
  osmosis, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  tubular 
  outgrowths 
  

   were 
  merely 
  due 
  to 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  pressure 
  on 
  the 
  inside. 
  I 
  

   believed, 
  in 
  fact, 
  that 
  the 
  behaviour 
  of 
  the 
  ammonium 
  sul- 
  

   phate 
  crystal 
  in 
  albumen 
  was 
  strictly 
  comparable 
  to 
  the 
  

   behaviour 
  of 
  a 
  crystal 
  of 
  potassium 
  ferrocyanide 
  in 
  a 
  solution 
  

   of 
  copper 
  sulphate. 
  In 
  this 
  experiment 
  (for 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  

   indebted 
  to 
  Dr. 
  Ramsden) 
  a 
  colloidal 
  membrane 
  of 
  copper 
  

   ferrocyanide 
  is 
  rapidly 
  formed 
  round 
  the 
  crystal 
  as 
  it 
  dis- 
  

   solves, 
  from 
  which 
  membrane 
  numerous 
  irregular 
  twisted 
  

   tubes 
  grow 
  out 
  in 
  all 
  directions. 
  

  

  