AND ON THE DIRECT AGENCY OF THE SPERMATOZOON. 277 



and afterwards to apply the narcotized bodies to some eggs in the way done by 

 myself. 



The facility with which the spermatozoa can be narcotized by the mode now men- 

 tioned has enabled me to test the relation of their power of motion to that of their 

 fecundatory property, and although my results differ somewhat from those obtained 

 by Mr. BUSK, it may be well, perhaps, to relate them. 



MM. PREVOST and DUMAS found, in addition to their many other excellent results, 

 that spermatozoa are rendered motionless by an electric shock, and that then they 

 do not impregnate the egg. They also found that opium and strychnine have a 

 similar paralysing effect on these bodies. But it has since been suggested that the 

 latter agents act on these bodies only in so far as they affect the chemical composi- 

 tion of their substance, and that the operation of electricity on them also is similar. 

 But it yet remains to be shown whether any chemical change is produced in the 

 substance of the spermatozoon, when simply narcotized by the vapour of chloroform, 

 and not mixed with it in the fluid state; and when, although the power of motion is 

 arrested, the vitality of the body is not destroyed. 



Three eggs were placed in separate cells, and the spermatic fluid, immediately it 

 had been obtained, was applied, once only to each, by means of the pin's head. These 

 trials with the fluid in its natural state, mixed only with a small quantity of water, 

 were made for the purpose of comparing their results, with those of others to be 

 made with portions of the same fluid after it had been narcotized, and applied to 

 eggs in this state at different periods. One minute after the application of the fluid I 

 found an abundance of spermatozoa on the surface of each egg at the part touched, 

 and some spermatozoa had not only already penetrated into the envelopes, but had 

 arrived at, and were in contact with the vitelline membrane, or rather the zona pel- 

 lucida. The respiratory chamber was afterwards formed above the yelk in each of 

 these eggs, and two of these subsequently formed embryos ; the third was only par- 

 tially fecundated. 



The spermatic fluid was then exposed to the influence of chloroform, in the way 

 mentioned, about fifteen minutes after it had been obtained ; and after seven minutes' 

 exposure to it, and when the majority of the spermatozoa it contained had become 

 narcotized, was employed in experiments. The signs of full narcotization are the 

 entire cessation of all motion in the spermatozoon, which lies with its body extended 

 at length, and not looped on itself. In the latter condition it is usually dead. 



Three eggs placed in separate cells were then supplied with the narcotized sperma- 

 tozoa applied to each egg three times by means of the pin's head. On examining the 

 eggs six minutes afterwards, I was unable to detect even a single spermatozoon within 

 the envelopes of either of them, either in contact with the vitelline membrane or in 

 any part of the substance of their envelopes ; although there was a great abundance 

 of perfectly motionless spermatozoa on the surface. No chamber was formed above 

 the yelk in either of them, nor did either of them produce an embryo. 



2 o2 



