The San Francisco call., 1905-05-23
Eminent Scientist
Reports Success
of Experiments
EGGS TREATED
ARE FERTILIZED
Artificial Means
Form Membrane
as Nature Does

BERKELEY, May 22.-One more impor-
tant step has been taken by Professor
jacques Loeb in his search for the causes
that produce life, the latest discovery of
the famous savant being described in a
bulletin issued to-day at the University
OF California DR.. Loeb announces that
ne has hnally completed an imitation Of
the fertilizing effects Of spermatozoon in
sea Urchins by chemical means He has
caused the formation Of a membrane
around unfertilized eggs, this being the
hrst OF the processes that follow the
entrance OF natural spermaZotoon when
eggs are fertilized and life is created.
one result OF this latest discovery of
DR.. Loeb's is that he resigns a theory
he promulgated five years ago. when he
Venturec the suggestion that the pho
cess Of membrane formation is a process
OF coagulation." He says to-day: From a
closer observation Of the process of mem
brane formation am inclined 10 believe
mat Il Is due to q process of secretion"
Dr. Loeb'S account of his triumph and
Its significance in its relation TO the long
search he has made into the mysterious
realm where the origin of life has its
source is in part as follows:
According TO the method described in my
@ @tMo previous notfs, the unfertilized eggs of
the ssa-urchin tStfongylocentrotus purpuratus)
were hrst submitted Tor two hours 10 hyper-
tonic sea water Goo &C. sea water plus Is
&C "a NaCl solution), and were then treated
With acetlc forInic acid in order TO pro-
uuce a membrane. Since in the process OF fer
ulizstion by spsrm the membrane is formed
Immediately after the spermatozoon enters. it
seemed 70 me that in the case Of a complete
imitation OF the fertilizing effects Of the sper-
matOzoOn by chemical means, the membrsu
formation should slso constitute the frst in the
series Of events. 1 had, however met with
tion IS caused first. and the eggs are submit
ted for two hours 10 the hypertonic sea water
larvae. ] have since found that this difficulty
can - overcome. and that the last postulate
Of a complete Imitation OF the process of fer
uliZauOn by chersical means can also be sat
lsted-namely. that the order OF events should
be the same in both cases. II is only necessary
70 submit the eggs which already possess
membrane for a considerably shorter period
tlan two hours to the hypertonic sea water
from between % 70 90 minutes-according TO
the temperature and differences in the eggs
OF different females.
TELLS OF HIS METHODS.
Ny method OF procedure is as follows The
eggs are frst treated with one of the acids
which cause the membrane formation For
tn1s purl'os7 &C OF a Mo solution OF a
iatty acid. e-g. acetic. propionic butyrfc or
valerianic etc. are added to so &C of sea
water Tie eggs remain in this solution for
from = 70 y minutes When transferre5
back 10 normal sea water they form a mem
brane which cannot b. distinguished from q
membrane OF fertilization.
since these experiments proved the great
sisnihcance Of tae process OF membrane for
nation. II was Of interest 10 ascertain which
process. ]
ts obvious that a complete knowledge of these
substances must also include the substance
which is responsible for the membrane forma-
tou immediately after the sDermatozoon has
entered The egg
Ind taat the substances which call forth
gle membrane formation in the egg may be
aiVidec into two groups The group in
cludes hydrocarbons and certain products OF
substitution, the second group consists OF Ger
tam acids. The two groups differ. in that the
membrane formation occurs while the egg Is
n contact with the hydrocarbons. but does not
occur while IL is in contact with the acids
but only after IL is transferred back into nor
nal water.
WHAT FACTS SHOW.
All the facts mentioned in this and the pre-
gious communications indicate that the pro-
oess Of membrane formation is an essential
and not a secondary phenomenon in this
method OF artificial parthenogenesis. II eggs
are treated with fatty acid. but not long
enough 70 call forth the process OF membrane
formation, or with an acid that is unit to cali
forth this process. e-g-. nitric acid a subse-
7uent exposure OF the eggs for about so or so
wat vii