592 ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



to a very slight extent, organic substances. Of these we must mention 

 a nitrogenous substance containing iron which gives MILLON'S reaction 

 and which MIESCHER calls karyogen. The unripe salmon spermatozoa, 

 while developing, also contain nucleic acid, but no protamine, with a 

 protein substance, " albuminose," which probably is a step in the forma- 

 tion of protamine. According to KOSSEL and MATHEWS/ in the herring 

 as in the salmon, the heads of the spermatozoa consist of protamine 

 nucleate but no free protein. 



The chemical investigations on the spermatozoa have not given us 

 any information as to the condition for fertilization and the development 

 of the egg. 



Spermatin is a name which has been given to a constituent similar to alkali 

 albuminate, but it has not been closely studied. 



Prostatic concrements are of two kinds. One is very small, generally oval 

 in shape, with concentric layers. In young but not in older persons they are 

 colored blue by iodine (!VERSEN 2 ). The other kind is larger, sometimes the size 

 of the head of a pin, and consisting chiefly of calcium phosphate (about 700 p. m.), 

 with only a very small amount (about 160 p. m.) of organic substance. 



(b) Female Generative Organs. 



The stroma of the ovaries is of little interest from a physiologico- 

 chemical standpoint, and the most important constituents of the ovaries, 

 the Graafian follicles with the ovum, have not thus far been the subject 

 of a careful chemical investigation. The fluid in the follicles (of the cow) 

 does not contain, as has been stated, the peculiar bodies, paralbumin 

 or metalbumin, which are found in certain pathological ovarial fluids, 

 but seems to be a serous liquid. The corpora lutea are colored yellow 

 by an amorphous pigment called lutrin. Besides this another coloring- 

 matter sometimes occurs which is not soluble in alkali; it is crystalline, 

 but not identical with bilirubin or hsematoidin ; but it may be identified 

 as a lutein by its spectroscopic behavior (PICCOLO and LIEBEN, KUHNE 

 and EwALD 3 ). 



The cysts often occurring in the ovaries are of special pathological 

 interest, and these may have essentially different contents, depending 

 upon their variety and origin. 



The serous cysts (HYDRO PS FOLLICULORUM GRAAFII), which are 

 formed by a dilation of the Graafian follicles, contain a serous liquid 

 which has a specific gravity of 1.005-1.022. A specific gravity of 1.020 

 is less frequent. Generally the specific gravity is lower, 1.005-1.014, 

 with 10-40 p. m. solids. As far as is known, the contents of these cysts 

 do not essentially differ from other serous liquids. 



1 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 23. 



2 Nord. med. Ark., 6. 



3 See Chapter VI, p. 290. 



