The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-21

The upper floor of the laboratory is de-
voted to the more advanced workers. Some
of these are persons OF national reputa-
ton, who are here passing the summer. in
deeper study into the secrets of nature;
Others are just beginning the work of
original investigation and have not ac-
quired the ability of going alone. These
Latter are in part graduates of the
lower laboratory: in part those who
have done equivalent work elsewhere.
They need constant attention and advice.
Think for a moment, you who have never
worked in biological laboratory. of how
you would go to work to find out some
thing new. What would you take up?
How would you work at it? And how
would you recognize a new fact when you
had found it? This portion of the labora-
tory aims to supply just this training. and
shown by many of our scientific journals.
Twenty of these students can be accom-
modated in the large rooms of the upper
floor, and each one is as much under the
charge of the instructors on that floor as
the beginners down stairs. Each one on
entering the laboratory has his work
mapped out for him. The problem IS
assigned. the methods of study suggested,
and with constant assistance and advice
the student is led to find out the facts in
the case. The Instructor has also to show
the beginner how to use the literature and
how to find out whether his facts are new,
and also what their bearings may be. In
this assignment of work good Judgment
must be exercised-to pick out problems
within the power of the student. and also
those which will return adequate results,
both in new facts and in training as well.
Leading from the main laboratory are
twenty-four private rooms. each equipped
with Its own aquarium, glassware, china,
cuts, etc, where the investigators who no
t.,Y, Sy1cf <t,,;-
studies undIsturbed by outsiders, and if
necessary in secrecy. 1t not infrequenty
happens that two workers have attacked
essentially similar problems and thus, of
course, there is naturally considerable
rivalry, and each wishes, until ready for
publication. to keep his results from the
other.
If it were possible to describe in detail
the work done by the Investigators the
account would prove exceedingly dry TO
the layman. An example, however, may
be outlined to serve tor all. Today the
tendency of investigation is largely IN the
line of einbryology. Only few years ago
most students We're engaged in describing
new species or in studying the structure
of those already described. Now, one
great problem is how does that structure
arisep So at Woods HoiI the tracing of
the changes from the egg 10 the adult
naturally occupies prominent position.
Each animal has its own peculiarities of
development, and so only general outline
can he given. in which only the salient
features can be touched upon.
The student obtains the animals whose
history he wishes In trace and from them
obtains the eggs and miit. These are
mixed together. and from this moment
every instant OF the history is OF interest,
Most OF the eggs studied are greatly differ
cnt III general appearance from the famil-
lar egg of the hen. They are usually
small, frequently microscopic in size,
whIie many OF them are perfectly trans
spdrent. III this latter ease certain feat
ures of development are studied with
comparative ease, for. placed beneath the
microscope, most Of the internal changes
can be readily seen. In other eggs which
are perfectly Opaque only the modiIica-
tions of the external surface can thus be
seen. and for internal structure the same
process OF section cutting described above
must be resorted to.
The typical egg we are describing is
mere sphere OF that much-talked-about and
Yet little understood substance proto-
piasm. After it is fortified il divides into
halves ana each half into quarters. and so
on again ana again. until the egg IS con-
Verted INTO bail of small spheres or cells,
tue whole much resembling a black berry
IN Its genera! appearance. Then these
cells become arranged with LAYERS an
o"te' "A'Si4 - 10 grow into SKIN anu nerF-
Gus system, an inner which will make
stomach. etc. aud a middle layer. TO he
later differentiated into muscles. blood,
Mood vessels, fat, etc, and in the yerte-
brates. bone and cartilage.
As has already been said in this embryo
logical study section cutting plays an i'm
portAnt para, and the worker soon ac-
CURES great facility in ali its many steps.
Ii IS not a difficult task TO cut an egg one
one-hundFedth of an inch in diameter
into atty or a hundred sections and have
these sections pass through the egg in
any desired manner. Pain sections show