Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-27

the latter bearing the same relation to
a sea urchin as a tadpole does to
frog
Professor Loeb's announcement OF
his experiments. and the belief TO
which he is forced, practically establish
a new theory OF the reproduction OF
species. According to this, the union
Of two elements is not necessary for
reproduction, but any cell may divide
and reproduce.
This throws at once what may be a
most important light on the subject OF
cancers and of dermoid cysts.
with regard to cancer. can say
nothing" says Prof. Loeb. Others.
ny colleagues, are working on that
But the rest. the development Of the
gnfertiiized egg, that is an assured
fact. I believe an immaculate concep-
ton may be from natural causes. The
less a scientist says about that now
the better. It is wonderful subject.
and many ways an awful one.
That the human species may be
made artificially to reproduce itself by
the withdrawal Of chemical restraint
by other than natural means is a mat
ter we do not like to contemplate.
But we have drawn great step
nearer to the chemical theory OF life
and may already see ahead Of us the
day when a scientist. experimenting
with chemicals in a test tube. may see
them unite and form substance which
shall live and move and reproduce it.
self.
1T win be the first protoplasmic cell,
the origin OF all life. which was pro-
duced in the test tube of nature ages
ago by the union in the course OF the
worlds evolution OF the same chemical
substances with which he viii have
worked"
If the discoveries are verified by
further experimentation, the possibility
IS that science may explain the miracle
of immaculate conception. over which
long and bitter contests have beer
waged. Centuries ago scientists and
theologians took up the quarrel, ant
they have continued It to the present
p day. Biologists studying the phenom
ena OF life declared that It was chem
ically created in the first place. bu
that man was the result Of an age lOni
: evolution which had brought about tn
impossibility of reproduction withou
the union of the male and the OPPOSITE
element 1t was impossible from thei
> standpoint for a woman to become
mother from any power in herself
4 Theologians, on the other hand, hav
r held that, whatever might be the usua
r manner, in the case OF Mary there wa
! no other fatherhood than that Of tn
/ Almighty. They have remained tru
( to a belief in this, even when abandon
e ing belief in the miracles performe
4 by the Saviour.
His discovery that a solution of mag
z nesium salt caused the development @
p sea urchin eggs into normal plutel lie
r. the scientists at Woods Holl 10 a Ion
1 series OF experiments TO find what ei
feet the solution had on other cells.
+ jellyfsh. or sea anemOne. was take
e as an illustration. This is a trans
: parent jellylixe mass that move
1 through the sea. pulsating regularl,
e waving with each motion set {
q streamers which drive food toward Il
/ stomach.
70 Norman already had shown thi
E when this ring of hbres was cut ava
= pulsation stopped. and it was ther'
!. fore dubbed the nerve ring" and VIZ
@ believed to be the centre Of motiN
Il power in the animel. This has no
4 been proven wrong, for when the n
/. naming portion Of the jellyfish was pl
4 In water containing no calcium and
large percentage of magnesium. 1t In
II mediately began pulsating rhythmlca
r ly, as 1t had In sea water with its RIM
: attached. Bit by bit the outer po
r lions were cut away, ana at last q
rnerest centre OF the mass was put in
o magnesium solution, when It pulsat'
E as had the rest.