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AND ON THE DIRECT AGENCY OF THE SPERMATOZOON. 
and afteiwaids to apply the narcotized bodies to some eggs in the wav done bv 
myself. 
The facility with which the spermatozoa can be narcotized by the mode now men- 
tioned has enabled me to test the relation of their power of motion to that of their 
fecundatory property, and although my results differ somewhat from those obtained 
by Mr. Busk, it may be well, perhaps, to relate them. 
MM. Prevost and Dumas found, in addition to their many other excellent results, 
that spermatozoa are rendered motionless by an electric shock, and that then they 
do not impregnate the egg. They also found that opium and strychnine have a 
similai patalj^sing effect on these bodies. But it has since been suggested that the 
latter agents act on these bodies only in so far as they affect the chemical composi- 
tion of their substance, and that the operation of electricity on them also is similar. 
But it yet remains to be shown whether any chemical change is produced in the 
substance of the spermatozoon, when simply narcotized by the vapour of chloroform, 
and not mixed with it in the fluid state; and when, although the power of motion is 
arrested, the vitality of the body is not destroyed. 
Three eggs were placed in separate cells, and the spermatic fluid, immediately it 
had been obtained, was applied, once only to each, by means of the pin’s head. These 
trials with the fluid in its natural state, mixed only with a small quantity of water, 
were made for the purpose of comparing their results, with those of others to be 
made with portions of the same fluid after it had been narcotized, and applied to 
eggs in this state at different periods. One minute after the application of the fluid I 
found an abundance of spermatozoa on the surface of each egg at the part touched, 
and some spermatozoa had not only already penetrated into the envelopes, but had 
arrived at, and were in contact with the vitelline membrane, or rather the zona pel- 
lucida. The respiratory chamber was afterwards formed above the yelk in each of 
these eggs, and tvvo of these subsequently formed embryos; the third was only par- 
tially fecundated. 
The spermatic fluid was then exposed to the influence of chloroform, in the way 
mentioned, about fifteen minutes after it had been obtained ; and after seven minutes’ 
exposure to it, and when the majority of the spermatozoa it contained had become 
narcotized, was employed in experiments. The signs of full narcotization are the 
entire cessation of all motion in the spermatozoon, which lies with its body extended 
at length, and not looped on itself. In the latter condition it is usually dead. 
Three eggs placed in separate cells were then supplied with the narcotized sperma- 
ozoa applied to each egg thiee times by means of the pin’s head. On examining the 
eggs six minutes afterwards, I was unable to detect even a single spermatozoon within 
t e envelopes of either of them, either in contact with the vitelline membrane or in 
any part of the substance of their envelopes ; although there was a great abundance 
o perfecdy motionless spermatozoa on the surface. No chamber was formed above 
t e yelk in either of them, nor did either of them produce an embryo. 
2 o 2 
