53f. 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 30, UN. 



fermentation shoald be an organic one, and that a ferment or 

 leaven be present, with the introdnction and removal of which 

 the process begins and ends. This leaven increases itself 

 during fermentation, bat only a portion of it, 12 to 1 j per 

 cent., enters into the new formation — the lees. The opinion 

 has been maintained that it is onl; by contact that leaven can 

 excite fermentation. According to Hallier's experiments, how- 

 ever, this opinion is fundamentally wrong. If fermentation 

 were a chemical process to which the dreg-formation gives the 

 £rst impulse, but which, if once set up, becomes self-sastaiu- 

 ing, it would not be possible for it to come suddenly to a stand- 

 still, as frequently happens in many manufacturing processes, 

 snch as brewing. ,kc. Among the conditions of fermentation 

 (as well as of the increase of the before-named myuological 

 forms) are a certain degree of moistnre, a suitable temperature, 

 and the presence of some nitrogenous substance. Although a 

 temperature of from 10" to -Id R. (.'i.5' to l'2:i Fahrenheit) is 

 the most favourable to fermentation, the possibility of the 

 process is limited only by the boiling and freezing point?. It 

 may also occur in the absence cf nitrogen, as is proved by the 

 fact that by the addition of a few cells to a solution of sugar, 

 which is free from nitrogen, fermentation may be set up, al- 

 though only to a limited extent. 



If we examine common veast under the microscope, we find 

 that it consists entirely of innumerable ellipsoidal, but nearly 

 globular, corpuscles, in which we immediately recognise the 

 form of Cryptococcas. I find, after repeated measurements, 

 that the usual yeast corpuscles, Cryptococcus cerevisi.T?, have a 

 length of 0008 millimc-tre (l'27.j line), and are consequently 

 larger than the Cryptococcus found in foul brood, which has a 

 diameter of 0(io2 millimi-tre (1-109.") line). These globules 

 multiply, as we may plainly perceive under the microscope, by 

 forming a bud on a spot situated mostly near the longer axis, 

 this rapidly increases, separates itself from the parent stock, 

 and commences the same process anew. 



We readily perceive from the foregoing sketch of the natural 

 history of these forms of fungus, that we can produce yeast by 

 Bowing mildew. As soon as mildew germinates in any saccha- 

 rine fluid, its spores disseminate the Micrococcus, which, if 

 there be a trace of nitrogen in the fluid, rapidly swell and 

 develope into Cryptococcus, the common yeast fungus. This 

 can, of course, increase by division ad intinitiim, but its origin 

 is to be traced to the ordinary brush-mildew. It is necessary 

 carefully to remember this derivation of every yeast fungus 

 from one particular mildew, in order perfectly to understand 

 what follows. 



Now, although the common yeast fungus varies but little, 

 if anything, in size whilst confined to the usual liquids capable 

 of fermentation, it assumes different sizes when present in 

 other substances. If we sow brush-mildew in fatty oil, it 

 forms a ferment, which diiiers from Cryptococcus cerevisiw in 

 the minuteness and great delicacy of its spornles. Belying 

 upon this fact, I explained in my first paper on foul brood that 

 the common fermentive fungus might possibly assume the 

 smaller form of Cryptococcus alvearis when present in the 

 interior of the larv.-e. 



Now, as the brush-mildew is the first parent of the fermen- 

 tive fungus, we can raise a ferment from any other kind of 

 mildew by sowing its spores in liquor capable of fermentation, 

 and by this means obtain different forms of Cryptococcus 

 —(x. gr., Rhizopus nigricans, Ehrenberg, if sown in bilberry- 

 jnice produces very minute cells. 



The contents of fungus fpores which consist of Micrococcus 

 granules, if in contact jcith or immersed in suhstances in whicli 

 nitrojen predominates, do not become Cri/ptococcus by swetling, 

 but retain the kernel form, and, appropriating the surrounding 

 nitrogen, increase ad infinitum hti division. 



This smallest form of Micrococcus,* the kernelcell kernel- 

 ferment, is the cause of most, if not all the epidemic diseases 

 of man and of animals. Their extreme minuteness renders 

 it possible for them to be received into the most delicate blood 

 vessels, cither through the air or especially by means of impure 

 drinking-water. Their capacity for increasing indefinitely by 

 division without passing into higher forms, together with their 

 peculiarity of luxuriating not only in the body, but about 

 houses, in beds, and on dung-heaps, accounts for their great 

 power of propagating infection. 



It is a long while since medical men first discovered a strik- 

 ing analogy between the fermentive process and the spread of 



* A decimal was omitted in the second paragrapli of page 495. The 

 diameter of Micrococcus eboold have been there stated at 0004 milli- 

 metre, instead of 0'0C4.— A Devosshibe Bee-keeper. 



many infections diseaseii. Several decades ago they already 



surmised that it must be conditional upon and propagated by 

 minute forms of vegetation. They were especially led to em- 

 brace this opinion when the cholera travelled from Asia all 

 over Europe in 1831. One of the first advocates of the new 

 theory was the Privy Councillor Franz von Gietl, physician in 

 ordinary to the King of Bavaria. Even so long ago as 1S31 be 

 advanced this opinion, which has since been defined more dis- 

 tinctly in his subsequent works. He says : — " One cannot get 

 rid of the idea that it is an infinitely minute organic body, 

 such as, perhaps, the sporules of cryptogams, mildew-vegeta- 

 tion, il-c, but so small that it cannot be made evident to our 

 senses even by the aid of all possible auxiliaries. During the 

 cholera of 18.37, Biihm found in hie examination of the mucons 

 membrane of the intestines that a minute fungoid form was 

 there accumulated in masses, and flourishing at the expense of 

 the intestinal fibre. These observations were repeated during 

 all subsequent epidemics. lu ISHi;, F. Klob and Thomt- deter- 

 mined this fungus form to be the cause of cholera, but it was 

 reserved for the ingenious experiments of Hallier to throw full 

 light upon the matter. He succeeded by means of a peculiar 

 propagating apparatus in developing from the Micrococcus 

 found in choleraic evacuations the higher fungus forms from 

 which it is derived. This propagating apparatus consists of 

 bell-glasses, under which the Micrococcus is disseminated in a 

 soil adapted to it. As the most diverse spores continually con- 

 gregate in the atmosphere, care must be taken that these do 

 not intrude. Hence the bell-glass is first purified by being 

 boiled oat and then cleaned with alcohol, and after being 

 placed over the Micrococcus it is insulated by means of water, 

 which is disinfected daily. Springing from the top of the bell- 

 glass are two glass tubes, which are luted to it, and which run 

 in different directions. Through one of these the air is with- 

 drawn from the bell by means of an air-pump, whilst through 

 the other its place is supplied by air which has been passed 

 through alcohol, by which all fungoid elements are destroyed. 

 The sown Micrococcus being kept at a suitable temperature, 

 now developes itself into that form of fungus to which it owes 

 its origin. These experiments having been male repeatedly 

 and with the utmost care, have furnished the most remarkable 

 results. It is found that the parent stock of the choleraic 

 Micrococcus is the rice-hiitjh' fungus. Uroci/stis onjzir. which 

 is totally unknown in Europe, and is, indeed, peculiar to the 

 rice-plant only. Cholera, therefore, originates in the rice- 

 fields of India, whence the Micrococcus has spread itself all 

 over the globe. It reaches the ground by means of choleraic 

 pvacuatious, and there ^especially in dung-heaps) it continues 

 to increase. Through drinking-water or by other means it 

 enters into other individuals, in whom, if they are predisposed, 

 it continues to thrive, especially on the mucous membrane of 

 the intestines. Science, therefore, proves that the so-called 

 Asiatic cholera is continually being imported and transported, 

 and thus explains many hitherto most mysterious cases. 



Little as these details may appear to belong to a bee paper, 

 I yet believe that they will facilitate the comprehension of 

 foul brood. For this reason I quote some further examples. 



In the variola of sheep is found a MicrococcuB from which, 

 by cultivation, Plospora herbarum is produced. This fungus 

 occurs on rye-grass, Lolium perenne, and this fact coincides 

 remarkably with an opinion which is generally entertained by the 

 most distinguished vetermary surgeons and sheep-breedere, that 

 damaged hay is the cause of smallpox among these animals. 



From the Micrococcus of the cow-pox is produced Torula 

 refuscens. This form of fungus abounds in the milk, espe- 

 cially in the colostrum, of a cow which has recently calved. 

 As cow-pox seldom or never occurs in either bulls or oxen, and 

 as even in cows it is usually confined to the udder, it may be 

 conjectured that the cow inoculates herself with this disease 

 by means of her own milk. 



The mjcological organism of human small-pox consists of 

 the same fungus in a different stage of development, and con- 

 sequently the effect of vaccination amounts to this — that the 

 same vegetation cannot flourish twice in th( I me iLdividuaL 



From the Micrococcus of measles proceeds Mucor mucedo, 

 which occurs in the excrement of man and of animals. It is 

 probable, therefore, that epidemic measles owes its origin to 

 open closets and middens. 



In like manner it has been possible to distinguish signs of 

 the constant presence of Micrococcus cells in sixteen infectious 

 diseases, from each of which a distinct fungus has been de- 

 veloped. 



I may cite, as an example of the growth of the third stage of 



