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THE CONTENT OF THE PRINCIPAL INORGANIC IONS AND CARBON DIOXIDE IN UTERINE FLUIDS OF THE DOMESTIC HEN

Summary.: A method was devised to collect uncontaminated fluid from the uterus (shell gland) of the laying, domestic fowl at two different stages of formation of the egg in the organ.

There was a marked difference between the composition of the uterine fluid found during the early stages of egg formation in the uterus and that found within about 2hr of oviposition. The concentration of sodium fell from 139·1 to 42·8 m-moles/1, whilst that of potassium rose from 15·9 to 75 m-moles/1, at oviposition. The amounts of calcium and magnesium were found to be higher around the time of egg laying and was most probably associated with the deposition of egg shell.

The significance of changes in the ionic composition of uterine fluid to the storage and movement of spermatozoa in the oviduct of the hen has been discussed.