AND ON THE DIRECT AGENCY OF THE SPERMATOZOON. 
285 
The spermatic fluid first employed was procured from a Frog- early in the season, 
and consequently contained a large quantity of sperrnatozoal cells from which the 
spermatic bodies had not been liberated. A difficulty immediately occurred which 
had not been anticipated. The fluid was divided into two parts, one of which was 
triturated gently with the pestle and mortar for two minutes, and was then examined 
with the microscope. It still contained an abundance of active spermatozoa, and 
many cells. The trituration was continued for three or four minutes longer, without 
any marked result, as active spermatozoa were still abundant in the specimens of 
fluid examined. It was then repeated for several minutes with increased rapidity 
and force, when the fluid suddenly became partially coagulated, and separated into 
opake white flocculi, composed almost entirely of cells and granules, and a trans- 
parent fluid in which there were scarcely any granules. It was then found that nearly 
the whole of the spermatozoa had been destroyed, as I was not able to detect even one 
in motion. The thinner portion only of this fluid, when placed on the filter, passed 
through, and it did so with great slowness and difficulty. 
These circumstances are stated to show the mode of proceeding, and the accidents 
to be guarded against. The conclusions deduced from these trials were, that the 
spermatic fluid was not fully matured, and probably contained albumen, which, it is 
stated*, does not exist in mature spermatozoa ; also that the substance of the sperma- 
tozoa had undergone some chemical decomposition, perhaps from excess of heat 
evolved in the act of trituration, through too much force being employed; so that 
the results of these experiments could not be depended on. A further trial was 
therefore made a few days afterwards. The fluid obtained from a mature Frog was 
divided into two parts, one of which was reserved for simple artificial impregnation ; 
while the other was triturated slowly and carefully in tlie mortar with but little more 
exertion than was necessary to keep the pestle in constant motion for about fifteen 
minutes ; no water being added to the fluid. When placed on the filter it became 
necessary to add to it about an equal quantity of water to facilitate its filtration. 
Portions of the fluid which then passed through, holding the substance of the broken- 
down spermatozoa in solution, were caught in separate glass cells. 
Ten eggs were passed into a cell about half filled with the filtered fluid, and the 
cell was afterwards filled up with water. No other change than a slight enlargement, 
after the lapse of some hours, occurred in these eggs ; no chamber was formed, nor 
did any segmentation take place in either of them, consequently no embryos were 
produced. 
Fifteen eggs were placed in a cell which contained about half the quantity of filtered 
fluid employed in the preceding; but no fecundation took place in either of these 
eggs. 
Eleven eggs in a third cell with filtered fluid were equally unfruitful. 
Ten eggs in a fourtli cell gave similar results. 
* Article “ Semen,” Cyclop. Anatomy and Physiology, vol. iv. p. 506. 
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