The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-01
PRODUCES ARTIFICIAL LIFE.
PROF. LOEB SAYS he HAS DONE
1T WITH SEA URCHINS.
Has Used n Chemical Process With the
EgTs and Has Secured Results Similar
10 Those OF Natural Reproduction
nIfnnulfina Thai IN nrcame.

Has Used n Chemical Process With the
EgEs and Has Secured Results similar
10 Those OF Natural Reproduction
Difficulties That lie ONercame.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2s.-After laboring
In silence for months with larvse sperrna-
tozoon, unfertilized eggs Of sea urchins'
parthenogenetio larve and minute oeus
OF organism which give and Perpetuate
life. DR.. Jacques Loeb, the noted head OF
the physiology department OF the state
University at Berkeley, makes the deliberate
and unqualified statement that his expert
ments have produced most surprising re-
suits, which involve producing an arl-
fetal means OF the sexual fertilization OF
the egg OF sea urchin, contamination
long sought but hitherto not attained.
Prof Loeb's experiments heretofore have
been with the lowest forms of organic lie.
and now he il ready TO enter the hela OF
moro complex organism and TO wrestie
with the great problem OF the source OF
actual life in higher animals. This brings
scientific men TO the very threshold OF
subject which for centuries has engaged
their attention Producing life by artholal
means IL Prof Loeb's great research Work
at Berkeley. His report on his latest Work
says:
We are now able TO initiate the natural
process of the fertilization in the egg OF
the sea urchin completely by purely cheml-
cal and physical means. The fact that
parthcnogenetic larvn. raised by new
method. have tho same vitality as larvD
produced by normal fertilization arouses
the hope that 1t will be possible TO undertake
the solution OF problems for which inc
raising OF parthenogenetlo larv@ In largo
numbers Is preliminary.
Although DR.. Loeb's original discoveries
were far reaching and revolutionary, there
were many difficulties which be was not
able to overcome, and the development OF
the first artifcially stimulated egg differed
In essential particulars from those fertll-
lied later The fortified egg formed
characteristic membrane as soon as sper-
matozoon entered it. while the egg treated
with hypertonic sea water developed WITH
out a membrane. The rate OF development
was also faster in the naturally fertihzed
egg, and the larvD developed by DR. Loeb's
process swan at the bottom OF the dish
instead Of at the surface. While the num-
Der Of larva developing from the fertili1ed
egg is nearly 100 per cent. the chemical
process used to stimulate nature has until
now produced much inferior numerical
results
Further In his report DR.. Loeb says
4In thinking over the possible cause OF
these differences ii occurred 10 me that
sper1natozoon might carry into an egg
not one but several substances or oondi-
tons each OF which was responsible Tor
only part Of the specific features OF sexual
fertilization. and that in order 70 com
pletey initiate the action OF the sper-
rnatozoon II might be necessary to combine
two methods Of artificial parthenogenesis'
each OF which alone initiated the process
of sexual fertilization only partially. This
latter idea proved correct far beyond my
expectations.
The experimenter tested the effects OF
ethylacetate and found that IL tho infer
tilted eggs were kept for few minutes
In a solution of sea water to which small
quantity OF chemical had been added.
they not only formed a membrane when
returned 70 the normal sea water, but also
began to segment. At temperature OF
about 10 degrees centigrade they divided
into cells.
When the original method and treatment
with ethylacetate were combined most sur
prising results were forthcoming Ninety"
one per cent. OF the eggs developed instead
Of fraction of ! per oent as formerly
They all formed the Characteristic mem
brane. The rate of augmentation was the
same as that Of eggs Of the same female
fortified with sperm. The blastulm In
fact, looked perfectly normal and rose at
once to the surface OF the water and their
further development was identical with
eggs naturally fortified
The process found most effective was to
put the eggs first into hypertonio sea water
and after a bath in normal sea water into an
ethylacetate solution and thon back into
their native element The far reaching
consequences Of these discoveries are evil
dent
lNfIh EIN, MILD