The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-01

as their chemical SIDE IL concerned. CHIEF.
y, not altogether. catalytic phenomena
Hence, It was 20 lie expected that a check
ing OF the specific mortal processes should
pc Drought about by agencies which in
niDit catalytic phenomena without perma-
nentiy altering the constitution of living
matter.
CYANIDE MEETS CONDITIONS.
Among all the agencies which act in this
way potassium cyanide seemed to meet this
condition most perfectly. 1t weakens or
mhibttS a number Of enZymatic processes
in living matter without necessarily alter
Ing the constitution Of the latter. When
the potassium cyanide is permitted to evap-
crate the original condition OF the system
may be restored.
"a series of experiments on the effects OF
ken potassium cyanide) on the infer
tilted eggs of sea urchins confirmed expec-
tations and proved that by adding small
quantity Of potassium cyanide (kCN to
sea water the unfertiiized eggs Of the sea
urchin can be kept alive a compsfaaveIy
e. or above.
'PiuteI were obtained from eggs which
had been in potassium cyanide solution
for liz hours Gas rule the power to reach
the pluteus state disappears after the eggs
have been in clear sea water at 20 degrees
G. for twenty-three hours. Eggs immersed
in the poisoned potassium cyanide solution
for 1853 hours showed the beginnings of de-
Velopment upon test.
Not only the power of sexual, but also
longed through the potassium cyanide.
Lack of oxygen does not prolong or
prolongs but little the life of unfertilized
eggs.
Therefore we come to important conclu-
sions as TO the nature of Death.
As long as We consider death as some
ton of certain processes. 1t must appear
extremely paradoxical that the life of the
unfertilized eggs of the sea rrchin should
be prolonged by applying one of the most
deadly poisons But the paradoxical ele-
ment disappears when we start with the
assumption which led to these experiments.
namely. that in the unfertilZed eggs spe-
cific mortal processes are going on which
are checked or modified by the process Of
sexual or osmotic fertilization.
MORTAL PROCESS CHECKED
These specific mortal processes are also
checked by potassium cyanide which sub
stitutes for the destructive action of these
processes condition of suspension of lie.
We may next consider the question:
in the unfertilized egg and how can fertiIi
cation check them? No definite answer IS
possible at present. The mortal processes
may consis. of self-digestion, or in other
enzymatic processes, or they NAV not be
catalytic at ALL
How the act of fertilization NAV modi-
analogy. We know that a full supply Of
zynase.
Splitter has made II probable that the
namely. the nucleo-proteids. The process
OF fertilization results in the egg of the
cell divisions. In each OF which the con-
tents OF the nucleus are scattered through
out the cell. 1t is easily. conceivable that
contents of the nucleus and the cells may
modify the, chemical processes in the egg
and check the mortal processes
We found that the duration of life was
longest when the eggs were kept in ken
solution that varied between N 500 and n
Use IThis is weak solution of potassium
cyanide and water.)
After immersion in the cyanide Of potas-