288 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
quently taken small portions of cooked vegetables which had been 
boiled for not jess than half an hour, and invariably (with a power of 
760 diameters) found life, and, in twenty-four hours afterwards, bac- 
teria in abundance. From cooked vegetable marrow, on the second 
day, he had found ciliated infusoria, a monad, which apjieared to have 
come from the tissues. On the fifth day he observed a fungoid growth 
set up, no doubt induced by the want of air. After describing a num- 
ber of other observations, most of which were illustrated by drawings, 
he said that . n all his examinations of cooked vegetable marrow, tur- 
nip, carrot, c 1 elery, potato, &c., all alike show these minute organisms. 
Again, in examining cooked hare, he had found these minute trembling 
specks, similar in every resjiect to those seen in the vegetable, and alike 
accompanied by bacteria. How strange that the animal and vegetable 
kingdom should assimilate so closely ! Mr. Chantrell then remarked 
on the singular property that bacteria have of uniting and forming 
filaments. In the mature plant, or animal, it is ever on the move, 
coiling itself up and uncoiling ; the movement of the spirillum is as 
yet a mystery. By an attentive study of boiled vegetables in glass 
troughs much may be learned. In the last few weeks he had been able 
to confirm several of Dr. Bastian’s observations as well as others quoted 
by him, and he trusted that the members would follow up this study 
of home microscopy during the long evenings of winter, and they would 
learn to ajrpreciate Dr. Bastian’s valuable contribution. In the last 
few weeks he had learnt more of infusorial life by the aid of this book 
than in months of previous study. He said he was content to go 
working steadily on, neither declaring in favour of one hyjiothesis or 
the other. He feared the conclusions were too hasty ; there is sadly 
too much tendency to set up theories and stick to them. We want a 
class of observers who will watch these extraordinary changes with the 
same fidelity that the telegraph clerks watch every movement of the 
magnetic needle of the Atlantic cable at Valentia, and, as the Christ- 
mas story has it, be, indeed, “slaves of the lamp.” We want slaves of 
the microscope, who will faithfully record every change in these re- 
markable evolutions of infusorial life. 
A discussion followed, in which Mr. Newton, Dr. Inman, and Dr. 
Drysdale took jiart ; and on the motion of Mr. R. Hamilton, F.R.C.S., 
the discussion was adjourned to the December meeting. 
