Fecundation 353 



is demonstrated by the universally known experiments 

 upon the rejuvenescence of the infusoria, by which it 

 appears that this rejuvenescence can be re-acquired even 

 without any need of the ordinary fecundating conjuga- 

 tion, simply by causing some change in the surrounding 

 conditions of life, and thereby provoking a strong renewal 

 of the functional activity of the animal. 259 



Let us note parenthetically that if oscillating dis- 

 charges take place between the corresponding separated 

 specific accumulators or half mnemonic elements of the 

 egg and spermatozoon respectively even when the egg 

 and the spermatozoon are still relatively distant from 

 each other, i. e. before they could coalesce into a single 

 fecundated nucleus, we can then understand how the 

 space between each pair of these elements can and must 

 function just as the deformed di-electric between the two 

 armatures of the condenser of an electric resonator, and 

 thus be constrained to produce the attraction of each 

 spermatic half element to the corresponding half element 

 of the egg. And this would have as a final result an 

 energetic reciprocal attraction between the egg and the 

 spermatozoon. 



The real cause of the sexual attraction of the two 

 germs, male and female, would then reside in their capac- 

 ity of vibrating in unison. Conversely the absence of all 

 attraction between ovum and spermatozoon belonging to 

 animal or vegetable species too different in kind would 

 be due to the fact that the one germ is constituted by 

 potential half elements of which too many are specifically 



259 Compare e. g. Hartog: Problems of Reproduction: Conju- 

 gation, Fertilisation and Rejuvenescence. The Contemporary Re- 

 view, July 1892; esp. P. 0495, 100102. 



