148 PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 



enough (! !). He also cites an experiment performed by Dr. Burdou 

 Sanderson, wliicli, according to Dr. Bastian, is proof of tlie develop- 

 ment of bacteria, not from pre-existing germs, but by spontaneous 

 generation. However, Professor Sanderson recognizes the fact that 

 they may have been developed from bacteria germs which main- 

 tained a power of resisting the influence of the boiling. 



Now, in answer to these arguments of Dr. Bastian, Dr. Tyndall 

 firstly shows that the very first of Dr. Bastian's asserted suj^porters — • 

 Schwann — is a direct opponent, and that it was because Dr. Bastian 

 neglected to read the whole of his remarks that he came to his false 

 conclusions. Schwann's statement, as Dr. Tyndall shows, is directly 

 opposed to Dr. Bastian ; for in Poggendorff's ' Aunalen ' * he writes : 

 "At the last meeting of naturalists in Jena, I communicated experi- 

 ments on spontaneous generation, by which it was proved that, when 

 a closed glass globe containing a small quantity of an infusion of 

 muscle, and filled wdth air, is exposed to the temperature of boiling 

 water, so that both the liquid and the air are heated to 80° Eeaumur, 

 then, even after a period of several months, no infusoria are generated, 

 and no putrefaction occurs." 



In regard to the second point, the adhesion of M. Pasteur to Dr. 

 Bastian's argmnents, we may give the following quotation from a 

 letter by M. Pasteur, published in 'Natiu-e' (Feb. 17), which shows 

 clearly enough, if it was not stated so in the beginning of the letter, 

 that he is a decided opponent of spontaneous generation : — " Le docteur 

 Bastian me permettra de placer dans sa bouche ces paroles : ' C'est 

 bien vrai, les experiences de M. Pasteur et celles de M. Tyndall m'ont 

 accule, moi Docteur Bastian, partisan de la generation spontanee, dans 

 cette declaration. Oui, je prefere recourir sans motif serieux, a la 

 croyance a une force residant dans la partie amorphe des poussieres 

 en suspension dans I'air, plutot que de la placer cette force dans la 

 partie organisee formee de corpuscules identiques d'aspect a ceux des 

 germes des organismes des infusions.' Parler ainsi n'est-ce pas avouer 

 sa defaite ? " 



The most temperate letter which has been written on this subject 

 is that which appeared in ' Nature ' (Feb. 10), signed " Inquirer." In 

 this the writer points to the difference between the results obtained 

 by Dr. Tyndall and Dr. B. Sanderson (differences which are more 

 apparent than real as regards the conclusion to which both lead), and 

 asks Professor Tyndall to explain the apparent contradiction. To this 

 letter Professor Tyndall replies by pointing out that he will leave 

 the repetition of such experiments to Dr. Sanderson himself, " with 

 the full confidence that the ability and candour for which he is so 

 distinguished will lead him to a right result." At the same time he 

 most lairly invites " Inquirer " to see his infusions, and observes that 

 " it will give me great pleasure to show them to him." 



There is one other point in reference to this controversy, it is that 



Professor Wanklyn statesf that Professor Tyndall " has forgotten that 



the resistance of the atmosphere retards the gravitation of infini- 



tesimally small particles, and that particles too small for the highest 



* Vol. xli., 1837. t ' Brit. Mod. Journal,' Feb. 12. 



