﻿The 
  Relation 
  of 
  Spermatozoa 
  to 
  Certain 
  Electrolytes. 
  151 
  

  

  It 
  should 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  sodium 
  citrate 
  raises 
  the 
  P 
  H 
  of 
  the 
  

   sea 
  water, 
  but 
  this 
  change 
  is 
  insufficient 
  in 
  itself 
  to 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  removal 
  

   of 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  cerium. 
  

  

  That 
  the 
  precipitation 
  of 
  spermatozoa 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  trivalent 
  positive 
  ions 
  

   depends 
  very 
  closely 
  on 
  the 
  P 
  H 
  of 
  the 
  solution 
  is 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   Table 
  :— 
  

  

  Table 
  V. 
  

  

  Ph 
  of 
  sea 
  water. 
  

  

  Precipitation 
  by 
  

   0-0012M 
  Ce". 
  

  

  Ph 
  of 
  sea 
  water. 
  

  

  Precipitation 
  by 
  

   0-0012M 
  Ce"'. 
  

  

  7-6 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  3-7 
  

  

  

  

  7-3 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  3 
  3 
  

  

  

  

  6 
  5 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  2 
  9 
  

  

  

  

  6-1 
  

  

  0©* 
  

  

  8-2 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  5 
  6 
  

  

  

  

  8-57 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  5-3 
  

  

  

  

  9 
  3 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  4-5 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  * 
  Faintest 
  trace 
  of 
  precipitation. 
  

  

  In 
  different 
  samples 
  of 
  sperm 
  the 
  critical 
  value 
  of 
  P 
  H 
  varied 
  slightly. 
  In 
  

   one 
  experiment 
  P 
  H 
  7"3 
  gave 
  no 
  precipitation, 
  in 
  another 
  6 
  - 
  5 
  gave 
  none. 
  In 
  

   each 
  case 
  7"6 
  gave 
  strong 
  precipitation. 
  

  

  A 
  number 
  of 
  experiments 
  were 
  performed 
  which 
  brought 
  out 
  the 
  interest- 
  

   ing 
  fact 
  that 
  exactly 
  the 
  same 
  hydrogen 
  ion 
  concentration 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  

   render 
  the 
  spermatozoa 
  motionless 
  as 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  prevent 
  their 
  flocculation 
  

   by 
  cerium. 
  

  

  ✓Table 
  VI. 
  

  

  20 
  c.c. 
  sea 
  water 
  

   + 
  c.c. 
  N/10 
  HC1. 
  

  

  After 
  15 
  min. 
  

  

  Movement. 
  

  

  Flocculation 
  by 
  

   cerium. 
  

  

  c.c. 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  0-07 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  0-14 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  

  

  0-21 
  

  

  ©* 
  

  

  

  

  0-28 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  0-35 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  0-42 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  0-49 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  0-56 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  * 
  very 
  slight 
  movement. 
  

  

  + 
  + 
  + 
  = 
  active 
  movement 
  or 
  complete 
  flocculation, 
  

   = 
  no 
  movement 
  or 
  no 
  flocculation. 
  

  

  