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THE AMEBIC AN NATURALIST [Vol. XL VII 



an alcoholic male, and subsequently these matings will be 

 reversed in order to study the power of the normal mate 

 to counteract the injured condition, as well as the tend- 

 ency of new alcoholic cells to augment the condition. 



Summary 



Three years ago a series of experiments were begun 

 with guinea-pigs in order to test the possibility of modi- 

 fying the type of development in mammals, so as to pro- 

 duce definite monstrosities, as had been accomplished with 

 lower vertebrates. This primary object lias not been 

 fully attained at the present time, yet the experiments 

 have demonstrated several points concerning injury of 

 the germ cells, and have shown that an alcoholized male 

 guinea-pig almost invariably begets defective offspring 

 even when mated with a vigorous normal female. 



A method has been devised for administering the 

 alcohol by inhalation. The animals inhale the fumes of 

 95 per cent, alcohol which are readily taken into the pul- 

 monary circulation, and very soon cause a state of intoxi- 

 cation. By this method the stomach is not injured and 

 the general metabolism of the animal is maintained in a 

 healthy condition. Few changes are produced in the 

 tissues of the animals, even after a treatment given six 

 times per week lias extended over almost three years. 

 Yet the actual effects upon the reproductive glands are 

 indicated by the inferior quality of the offspring to which 

 the alcoholized individuals give rise. 



The animals have been mated in various combinations. 

 First, alcoholized males are paired with normal females, 

 the paternal test, and also the crucial test of the influence 

 of the treatment on the germ cells. Fifty-nine such ma- 

 tings have reached term. Twenty-five of these gave nega- 

 tive results or early abortions. Thirty-four of the fifty- 

 nine matings resulted in conception which ran the full 

 term. Eight, or about 24 per cent., of these were stillborn 

 litters containing in all 15 dead individuals. Many of 

 them were somewhat premature. Twenty six, or only 44 



