QUARTERLY CHRONICLE. 3S 



species) are produced from tlie spores and germinal filaments 

 of various fungi — amongst wliicli are enumerated 3Iucor, 

 PeniciUiKiu, Botrijtis, Toriila, Manilia, AspergiUum, Septo- 

 sporiiim, Arthrobotrys, Acremonium, and Verticillium. 



In Madame Lllders' experiments on the cultivation upon 

 the stage of tlie microscope, either under a covering-glass or 

 in the moist chamber, all the glasses employed, both thin 

 and thick, were previously purified from all organic germs, 

 by exposure to a strong heat in the spirit lamp ; and in order 

 to avoid both the drying of the preparation and the admis- 

 sion of foreign germs, they were kept under a glass bell, 

 secured by water. 



In cases where it was intended to kill the spores by dry 

 heat, they were kept for fifteen to thirty minutes at a tempe- 

 rature of 160° C, for Madame Liiders has seen them germi- 

 nate after they had been heated to only 100°, when placed 

 for some days in flesh- or sugar-water. 



The experiment farther consisted in the sov/ing in test- 

 glasses, prepared as above stated, and filled with boiled flesh- 

 Avater, at the moment they were taken from the boiling 

 apparatus, the spores of the y?iX\o\xs fungi above enumerated, 

 taken by means of forceps which had previously been heated 

 to redness ; the tubes were then closed Avith varnish, &c. 

 When the tubes thus prepared were placed, immediately 

 after the sowing, into the warm bath, a cloudiness was often 

 observed in the fluid in the course of a few hours, and within 

 twenty-four hours they always swarmed with Vibriones, 

 whilst at the same time the contents of a similar tube, con- 

 taining the same fluid, and prepared in precisely the same 

 way, but into which no spores had been introduced, remained 

 unchano-ed. 



The Vibriones produced in this way by direct germination 

 from the spores oi fungi difler in no respect from those which 

 are commonly found in putrescent fluids. 



Madame Liiders is induced to believe that the blood of 

 living animals contains Vibriones, either in the catenated form 

 or in that of the constituent granules ; but during life, and 

 until putrescency commences, these are always quiescent, 

 and show no signs of active existence. 



An experiment, by Professor Hensen, in support of this 

 opinion, is thus described : 



The extremity of a glass-tube, bent in the form of a W 

 with the ends drawn out, and quite closed, and which had 

 been exposed for half an hour to 200° C, was thrust into the 

 heart of a recently killed guinea pig, and then broken off". 

 After the blood had been sucked into the tube from the 



VOL. VIII. — NEW SER. C 



