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The inhibitory activity of human semen on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus has been reported previously (Rozansky, Gurevitch, Brzezinsky, and Eckerling, 1949).The Function of Human Semen The investigation has now been extended using 12 addi.ional freshly isolated strains of Staph. aureus.Materials and Methods.-Seventy-five specimens of semen from 53 patients (of the male sterility clinic) between the ages of 23 and 51 years were examined. Six of these were azoospermic, 25 oligospermic (less than 60 million spermatozoa per ml.), and 22 were normospermic. Ten specimens of human blood serum, 10 of cerebrospinal fluids, 10 of fluids from ovarian cysts, eight of amniotic fluids, four of pleural exudate, three of tears, and three of ox semen* were also tested in a similar manner. Materials were only taken from patients who had not received antibiotic treatment. The specimens of human semen were kept at room temperature for four hours before examination, then tested immediately, or after 72 hours at 80 C. or 14 days' refrigeration at 80 C. Twelve specimens were also examined after heating at 900 C. for 30 minutes. In addition to the three strains of Staph. aureus used in the previous study, 12 freshly isolated strains from surgical cases or pyogenic skin infections were tested. All strains were actively haemolytic, coagulase-positive, and mannitol-positive. The method described in the previous study (Rozansky et al., 1949)

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