AND ON THE DIRECT AGENCY OF THE SPERMATOZOON. 285 



The spermatic fluid first employed was procured from a Frog early in the season, 

 and consequently contained a large quantity of spermatozoal cells from which the 

 spermatic bodies had not been liberated. A difficulty immediately occurred which 

 had not been anticipated. The fluid was divided into two parts, one of which was 

 triturated gently with the pestle and mortar for two minutes, and was then examined 

 with the microscope. It still contained an abundance of active spermatozoa, and 

 many cells. The trituration was continued for three or four minutes longer, without 

 any marked result, as active spermatozoa were still abundant in the specimens of 

 fluid examined. It was then repeated for several minutes with increased rapidity 

 and force, when the fluid suddenly became partially coagulated, and separated into 

 opake white flocculi, composed almost entirely of cells and granules, and a trans- 

 parent fluid in which there were scarcely any granules. It was then found that nearly 

 the whole of the spermatozoa had been destroyed, as I was not able to detect even one 

 in motion. The thinner portion only of this fluid, when placed on the filter, passed 

 through, and it did so with great slowness and difficulty. 



These circumstances are stated to show the mode of proceeding, and the accidents 

 to be guarded against. The conclusions deduced from these trials were, that the 

 spermatic fluid was not fully matured, and probably contained albumen, which, it is 

 stated*, does not exist in mature spermatozoa ; also that the substance of the sperma- 

 tozoa had undergone some chemical decomposition, perhaps from excess of heat 

 evolved in the act of trituration, through too much force being employed ; so that 

 the results of these experiments could not be depended on. A further trial was 

 therefore made a few days afterwards. The fluid obtained from a mature Frog was 

 divided into two-parts, one of which was reserved for simple artificial impregnation ; 

 while the other was triturated slowly and carefully in the mortar with but little more 

 exertion than was necessary to keep the pestle in constant motion for about fifteen 

 minutes ; no water being added to the fluid. When placed on the filter it became 

 necessary to add to it about an equal quantity of water to facilitate its filtration. 

 Portions of the fluid which then passed through, holding the substance of the broken- 

 down spermatozoa in solution, were caught in separate glass cells. 



Ten eggs were passed into a cell about half filled with the filtered fluid, and the 

 cell was afterwards filled up with water. No other change than a slight enlargement, 

 after the lapse of some hours, occurred in these eggs ; no chamber was formed, nor 

 did any segmentation take place in either of them, consequently no embryos were 

 produced. 



Fifteen eggs were placed in a cell which contained about half the quantity of filtered 

 fluid employed in the preceding ; but no fecundation took place in either of these 

 eggs. 



Eleven eggs in a third cell with filtered fluid were equally unfruitful. 



Ten eggs in a fourth cell gave similar results. 



* Article " Semen," Cyclop. Anatomy and Physiology, vol. iv. p. 506. 



2 P2 



