THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 457 



blackish-brown deposit of charred matter, which, after 

 it had thoroughly settled, was about equal to one-twelfth 

 of the bulk of the fluid. 



The flask was opened at the end of the eighth week, 

 when the vacuum was found to be v/ell preserved. The 

 odour of the fluid was for the most part that of baked 

 turnip, and its reaction was acid. The deposit was 

 composed of amorphous granules, and also of a mul- 

 titude of reddish or claret-coloured spherules of various 

 sizes, but no organisms of any kind could be dis- 

 covered. 



'Experiment r. An infusion of turnip rendered slightly 

 alkaline by the addition of dilute liquor ammonias, was 

 affected in almost precisely the same way as in the last 

 experiment. 



v The flask was prepared at the same time, and opened 

 after the same interval. The deposit, in its micro- 

 scopical characters, resembled that found in the last 

 experiment, and there was a similar absence of all 

 organisms 1 . 



Experiment s. A tube containing an unaltered infusion 

 of turnip was opened at the end of the twelfth day. 



When received from Dr. Frankland, the fluid had 

 been changed to a decided but light brown colour, and 

 there was some quantity of a blackish-brown granular 



1 Considering the results which were obtained in Exps. a and g, I 

 think that a turnip infusion neutralized by liquor potassse rather than 

 liquor ammoniae, is one of the most favourable combinations for producing 

 organisms after exposure to high temperatures. 



