152 



THE OOLOGIST 



4lW^ 



gests the embryo and renders it soluble 

 in water so that it can ba removed with 

 ease. Trypsin, the main proteolytic 

 principle of pancreatin is probably the 

 most powerful ferment known. Stu- 

 dents of physiology know how actively 

 and powerfully the pancreatic juice 

 digests all that is left after gastric di- 

 gestion. (Pancreatin will digest 3000 

 times its weight of freshly coagulated 

 egg albumen.) 



A few weeks ago a friend in this city 

 removed nearly fully matured embryos 

 from a fine set of ten eggs of King Rail, 

 in 48 hours He used one and one-half 

 drachms of pancreatin (15 cents 

 worth.) He injected the solution at 

 6 p. m., blew out and reinjected at 6 

 p. m. the next day and blew out all 

 that remained of the embryos at 6 p. 

 m. the next day without damaging the 

 shell in color, texture or composition in 

 the least. The shells of these eggs 

 were very brittle as is usual when incu- 

 bation is almost completed and in my 

 opinion, he could not have had a per; 

 feet set of eggs had he used the potash 

 to soften the embryos 



In comparing the cost of pancreatin 

 and caustic potash, I will admit that 

 the digestant costs several times as much 

 as the alkali but inasmuch as we buy 

 these drugs only in small quantities the 

 cost is not a matter of any great mo- 

 ment We use them only whou we find 

 something rare or desirable, and to 

 prepare such specimens in a strictly 

 first class manner we should and most 

 of us do, look for satisfactory results 

 regardless of expense, especially when 

 the expense is only a matter of a few 

 cents. 



The question of time is also a matter 

 of but little importance to one who 

 wants to prepare his specimens in a 

 first class manner. The actual time 

 consumed in removing the contents by 

 using pancreatin is probably less than 

 while using potash. Of course time 

 must be given for the ferment to digest 



the egg contents but that time is not 

 necessarily wasted, as the ferment will 

 do its work without WAtching or urg- 

 ing. The alkali solution has to be 

 shaken about inside of the egg to obtain 

 the best and speediest results and is 

 slower when we reckon the actual time if! 

 consumed in the preparation of the 1| 

 specimens. 



Summing the matter up — the only 

 point in favor of the cans io potash is 

 its cheapness. The points against it 

 are: it will blacken ard scaia the egg; 

 it changes the nature of the shell; it 

 renders the shell more brittle and less- 

 ens the stability of the specimens, (this 

 being admitted by Mr. Short, in April 

 1899 Oologist, where he states in refer- 

 ring to the use of caustic potash: ^'This 

 is impracticable with thin shelled eggs as 

 it makes them, too brittle to stand anything. 

 You can often save large heavy shelled 

 eggs when in the most advanced stages 

 of incubation, etc." Another point 

 against the potash is its attacking the 

 skin of the operator's hands. 



The points in favor of pancreatin as 

 compared with potash ar^: It does not 

 attack the shell; it does not bleach; it 

 does not stain; it is as uszfulfor delicate 

 thin shelled eggs as it is for "large 

 heavy shelled" ones. I have removed 

 three-fourths incubated Chickadee's 

 eggs in two hours, after injecting a 1:16 

 solution of pancreatin without injuring 

 or staining the shells. Those who have 

 tried to blow out incubated Chickadee's 

 eggs know how difficult it is to do so 

 without injuring their thin brittle shell. 

 Pancreatin does not burn the hands of 

 the operator wherever it touches. The 

 only point against pancreatin is, that it 

 costs more. It costs 10 cents per dram 

 here in small quantities. 



I trust these particulars will explain 

 the advantages to be gained by using 

 pancreatin in the removal of embryos 

 and should anyone desire fuller inform- 

 ation 1 will be glad to give same. 



ISADOR S. TrOSTLBR, 



Omaha, Neb. 

 July 24, 1901. 



