TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL 



SOCIETY. 



On a Microscopic Ferment /om«6? m Red French Wine. 

 By Henry J. Sla.ck, F.G.S., Sec.R.M.S. 



(Read December 11th, 1867.) 



In ' Comptes Rendus ' for the 18th January, 1864, will 

 be found one of M. Pasteur's papers, entitled " Etudes sur 

 les Vins," accompanied by a plate showing the character of 

 fifteen kinds of ferments as exhibited by the microscope. The 

 third of these illustrations represents small rounded and ovoid 

 cells, some of the latter being pointed at one end. They are 

 arranged in groups of from two or three to seven or eight 

 cells, and attached to some of the larger ones are extremely 

 small ones, apparently growing from them. Pig. 2 in his 

 cuts represents more elongated cells, Avith a tendency to a 

 branched arrangement. 



In the text, M. Pasteur says that, if these two kinds of 

 cells only are seen in wine, the Mycoderma vini or fleurs du 

 vin only is developed. He describes this plant as consisting 

 of globular cells or joints, more or less elongated, and vary- 

 ing in diameter from 0'002 mm. to 0*006 mm., and is pro- 

 pagated by budding. 



These ferments, he states, do not injure the wine, but in 

 some cases improve it, and are essential to the good matu- 

 rition (bonne confection) of white wines. By causing them 

 to groAv artificially, he obtained a " portion of the bouquet " 

 belonging to Avines of this description. 



It may also be observed that M. Pasteur figures the My- 

 coderma aceti, as found in wines of the Jura that had turned 

 sour, much like strings of minute spores of the common blue 

 mould, radiating from a dense central mass of similar 

 cells. He says that, so long as the Mycoderma vini finds 

 plenty of nourishment, its growth tends to prevent that of 

 M. aceti; but as soon as nourishment becomes deficient, the 



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