Cataphoresis of Proteids in the Living Cell, i i i 



68 (478) 

 Artificial cyclopia in the smelt. 



By J. F. MCOLENDON. 



I found that about about o. I per cent, of the smelt embryos in 

 the fish hatchery at Cold Spring Harbor, L. I., had abnormal eyes. 

 There were all degrees of approximation and "fusion " of the two 

 eyes, sometimes resulting in perfect cyclopia. Less often one eye 

 was imperfectly developed or absent (monophthalmia asymmetrica). 



Preliminary experiments show that the percentage of abnor- 

 mal eyes was increased by the addition of anaesthetics or mag- 

 nesium chloride to the water, or by inhibiting the gaseous exchange. 



It was thought improbable that much of the magnesium entered 

 the embryos. If sub-lethal percentages of neutral salts are added 

 to the water in which adult fish live, very little salt enters their 

 bodies. As the lethal dose is approached, asphyxiation com- 

 mences and salt enters the fish in larger amounts. 



It was not practicable with the material at hand to make ac- 

 curate chemical analyses of the embryos, but microchemical tests 

 showed no more chlorides in the embryos developed in M/ 5 

 MgCl 2 than in those developed in tap water. One demonstration that 

 salts enter fish embryos is that in pure potassium chloride solutions 

 the heart stops beating. No increased amount of potassium was 

 found by microchemical tests, in embryos kept in M/ 5 KC1 until 

 the heart stopped beating, than in the controls. 



If the magnesium does not enter the embryos it must act on 

 the surface, and since its effect is similar to that of deficient aera- 

 tion, I suggest that the magnesium alters the surface so as to re- 

 tard the entrance of oxygen or the exit of carbon dioxide. Anes- 

 thetics that are known to penetrate freely may nevertheless produce 

 their charactistic effect by altering the surface. 



69 (479) 



Cataphoresis of proteids in the living cell. 



By J. F. MCOLENDON. 



In cells of the newt, the frog, the onion and the hyacinth, on 

 the passage of an electric current, the basic-staining proteids move 

 toward the anode and the acid-staining toward the cathode. 



