FOREWORD 7 



four workers obtained results that were distinctly 

 opposed to those of Pasteur, and in favour of the 

 de novo origin of micro-organisms. 



In 1870 the controversy was revived in this 

 country by the publication of my first experiments, 

 together with a celebrated Presidential Address 

 from Professor Huxley, in which, though not hav- 

 ing worked at the subject himself, he strongly 

 supported the views of Pasteur. Other experi- 

 ments were published by me from time to time 

 during the next seven years, and the results of 

 some of them were confirmed by Professor Bur- 

 don Saunderson (much to his surprise), as well 

 as by Professor Huitzinga, of Groningen; though 

 I was rather savagely attacked by Professor Tyn- 

 dall, who himself caused much bewilderment by 

 the extremely contradictory results of different 

 series of his experiments. Towards the close of 

 this period a controversy was started between 

 Pasteur and myself that led to the appointment 

 of a commission of the French Academy of Sci- 

 ences, the result of which, owing to various causes, 

 was abortive. 



An account of these experiments from 1870- 

 1877 is to be found in my work entitled The 

 Evolution of Life. 



