I, Al>IIMALCULA OF INFUSIOl^S. 57 



might have fupported a greater degree, had I 

 been able to keep the water longer fluid (i). 



The germs of the animalcula were likewife ex- 

 pofed to cold. New infufions being made, and 

 the vefleis hermetically fealed, I expofed them to 

 moft intenfe cold produced by a mixture of finely- 

 pounded fait and fnow ; the thermometer fell 2*^ 

 below o. The infufions were frozen fo hard as^- 

 to require above half an hour to melt where 

 the temperature of the air they were removed 

 to furpafled the temperate degree (2). But the 

 germs had not fuffered the fmalleil injury, as 

 all the infufions, though conflantly remaining in 

 velTels hermetically fealed, produced every fpecies 

 of animalcula at the proper time. 



Little is faid of cold in my Diifertation, but it has 

 been obferved, that the cold of fnow, or, which is 

 the fame, that of freezing, killed infufion ani- 

 malcula. It is confirmed by the facls ftated here : 

 and we fee in addition, that all animalcula do not 

 yield to that degree, but fome can bear 14'' and 

 others more. Thefe things completely quadrate 



with. 



(1) Dr Blagden cooled boiled diftilled water to 20" 

 without freezing. He does not feeni to conllder that 

 keeping it at peried reft is the caufe of fluidity. Phllofo- 

 p:ical TranjaSlionSi 1 733. — T. 



(2} The temperate degree in Reaumur's thermometer. 

 I can neither procure one of them marked with the tem- 

 perate degree ; nor can I difcover from the Author's own 

 memoirs what it is. Probably it may b; between 51" and 

 56° of Fahrenheit — -T, 



