SOME STRUGGLES OF JACQUES LOEB, ALBERT MATHEWS, AND ERNEST JUST AT THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY

Abstract

Jacques Loeb led the Department of Physiology at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in 1892, four years after the opening of the Laboratory. In that year he was also the first to study the development of fertilized sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata) eggs and detected a selective effect of hypertonic sea water in eliciting nuclear cleavage. By 1899 he had discovered artificial parthenogenesis. His priority in this discovery was challenged by an assistant in his Department, A. P. Mathews, who criticized other aspects of Loeb's work both from the MBL and from their common University. Mathews also leaked Loeb's progress to the press. Loeb attempted to have Mathews fired, but Mathews remained as head of the course at the MBL and also became Professor at the University of Chicago after Loeb left. Loeb worked for over a decade to prove Mathews incorrect in his claims and criticism. Loeb's work eventually helped to destroy a colloidal theory which Mathews upheld in his book, the first American text of biochemistry. For over two decades, Mathews taught, advised, and encouraged E. E. Just, who in support of the embryological work of another mentor, F. R. Lillie, publicly attacked Loeb's work. Loeb's antipathy to Just has been attributed to racism, but possibly resulted in large part from his scientific differences with Mathews, Lillie, and Just.

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