5 8 ORIGIN OF L WEST OR GA NISMS. 



[140 F.] kills the yeast cells; after exposure to this 

 temperature in water, they no longer undergo fer- 

 mentation, and do not cause fermentation in a sugar 

 solution. ... In like manner, active fermentation in 

 a saccharine liquid is stopped when the liquid is 

 heated to 60 C, and it does not recommence again 

 on cooling the liquid." 



That the organisms in question being minute naked 

 portions of living matter should be killed by exposure 

 to the influence of a fluid at these temperatures will 

 perhaps not seem very improbable to those who have 

 attempted to keep their fingers for any length of time 

 in water heated to a similar extent. With watch in 

 hand I immersed my fingers in one of the experimental 

 beakers containing water at 131 F., and found that, in 

 spite of my desires, they were hastily withdrawn, after 

 an exposure of less than five-and-twenty seconds. 



Wishing to ascertain what difference there would 

 be if the inoculated fluids were exposed for a very 

 long time, instead of for ten minutes only, to certain 

 temperatures, I prepared three flasks in the same 

 manner each containing some of the previously 

 boiled solution, which, when cold, had been inoculated 

 with living Bacteria, Vibriones, and Torulcz. These 

 flasks and their contents were then submitted to the 

 influence of the following conditions : One of them 

 was heated for a few minutes in a beaker containing 

 water at 113 F., and then by means of the air-pump 

 a partial vacuum was procured, till the fluid began to 



