Studies on the artificial insemination in the horse

IV. On the viscous, gelatinous material in the ejaculated semen

Abstract

In the ejaculated semen of the stallion there can be found some quantities of viscous, gelati. nous material, of which characters or source qu'teunknowa. We have studied these problems andobtained results as follows.
1. Quantity of the gelatinous material varies considerably in different seasons. In the bree. ding season, it is seen in 83.9% out of 205 cases of 15 stallions. The average volume is 63 cc, the maximum being 300cc. The average volume ratio of the material for total semen is 42.0 to 93.8%. The volume deviates in a wide range according to the breed or individua. lity of stallions and also to the, time of collec. tion. In the no.a.breeding season, however, the material can not or scarcely found in the semen. Sexual stimulation is also one of the deciding factors as for the volume of the fraction.
2. The colour, turbidity or smell, of the material are almost the same as of the fluid semen, except the viscosity being, extremely higher. PH of the material is higher by 0.1-1.0, in average 0.38 than that of the fluid.
3. Many spermatozoa are contained in the mat. erial, sperm concentration per 1/1, 000 mm³ Leing 16 to 160, in average 74.5 and total number of sperm being 240 to 16, 020 million, in average 5, 716milion. Motility of the sperm in the freshly ejaculated fraction is almost the same as in the fluid fraction, while the activity is much slower than that of the latter.
4. It seems probale that the material comes from the seminal vesicle, being vigorously secreted