102 



Prof. Moore, Dr. Roaf, and Mr. Whitley. 



[Oct. 9, 



(8) When the lipoids, extracted from serum or tissues by ether are made 

 up into an emulsion with normal saline, many of the lipoids take the form of 

 bi-concave discs. 



(9) The lipoid emulsions are very permanent, but separate on the addition 

 of ansesthetics or neutral salts, in similar fashion to colloidal solutions. 



On the Effects of Alkalies and Acids, and of Alkaline and Acid 

 Salts, upon Growth and Cell Division in the Fertilized Eggs 

 of Echinus esculentus. — A Study in Relationship to the 

 Causation of Malignant Disease. 



By Benjamin Mooee, M.A., D.Sc, Johnston Professor of Bio-Chemistry, 

 University of Liverpool ; Herbert E. Eoaf, M.D. Toronto, Johnston 

 Colonial Fellow, University of Liverpool ; and Edward Whitley, M.A. 

 Oxon. 



(Communicated by Professor W. A. Herdman, F.E.S. Eeceived October 9, — 

 Read November 23, 1905.) 



The results of observations previously made in the Bio-chemical Laboratory 

 of the University of Liverpool have shown that free hydrochloric acid is 

 absent from the gastric contents, or greatly reduced, in nearly all cases of 

 malignant disease, no matter where the malignant growth happens to be situated. 



In the paper describing these observations it was pointed out that the 

 most probable cause of this absence of the free hydrochloric acid was an 

 increased alkalinity of the blood-plasma, as a result of which the hydrogen 

 ion concentration in the plasma was so far reduced that the oxyntic cells 

 were no longer able to separate an acid secretion from it.* 



It seemed to us, therefore, desirable to test the effects of alterations in the 

 concentration of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions respectively, upon the growth 

 and cell division in some organism in which cell division was proceeding 

 rapidly, and which could be easily subjected directly to changes in acidity or 

 alkalinity of the medium in which it was living. 



We selected for this purpose the fertilized eggs of a species of sea-urchin 

 (Echinus esculentus), because at the season of the year at which our experi- 

 ments were carried out (April, 1905) the ripe eggs can readily be obtained 

 from the gonads of the female, and be fertilized by mixing with the sperm 

 similarly obtained from a ripe male. Hence from the single cell stage 



* 'Boy. Soc. Proc.,' B, vol. 76, p. 138, 1905. 



