6N EQUIVOCAL GENERATION. 123 



Here we see that the wider was the mouth of the vessel, 

 the sooner did the green matter appear in it; but that in time 

 the germ (or whatever it may be called that produced it) found 

 its way through the smallest apertures, and were ascended into 

 the vessel with the tin cover before it could descend into it ; 

 but that when all access to the water was precluded by a cover- 

 ing of oil, or a quantity of mercury, no green matter was 

 produced. These experiments, therefore, are far from fa- 

 vouring the doctrine of spontaneous generation, but are per- 

 fectly agreeable to the supposition that the seeds of this small 

 vegetable float in the air, and insinuate themselves into water 

 of a kind proper for their growth, through the smallest aper- 

 tures. 



Among the experimental facts, as Dr. Darwin calls them, in 

 the support of his hypothesis, he says, p. 3. " that one or 

 *' more of four persons, whom he names, put some boiling 

 *' veal broth into a phial previously heated in the fire, and 

 ** sealing it up hermetically, or with wax, observed it to be 

 " replete with animalcules in three or four days." But he 

 should have said which of these four persons made the expe- 

 riment, and have referred to the passage in their writings in 

 which it is mentioned. Otherwise no judgment can be formed 

 of its accuracy. And why did not the Doctor repeat the ex- 

 periment himself, since it is so easily done r Besides, we know 

 that even the heat of boiling water will not destroy some kinds 

 of insects, and probably much less the eggs, or embryo's, of 

 them. 



He adds (ib.) that " to suppose the eggs of former micro- 

 ** scopic animals to float in the atmosphere, and pass through 

 " the sealed glass phial, is so contrary to apparent nature, as 

 ** to be totally incredible." But who does, or would suppose 

 this. That various animalcules, as well as the seeds of various 

 plants, invisible to us, do float in the atmosphere, is unques- 

 tionable ; but that they pass through glass I never heard before, 

 though in a proceeding paragraph it is ascribed to myself. He 

 adds, " as the latter are viviparous, it is equally absurd to sup- 

 ** pose that their parents float universally in the atmosphere, to 

 " lay their young in paste, or vinegar." To me, however, 



