178 A Few Experiiiients 



V. — A Few Experiments hearing on SjJontaneous Generation. 



By Metcalfe Johnson, M.E.C.S.E., Lancaster. 



Since Professor Frankland's careful repetition of Dr. Bastian's 

 experiment on spontaneous generation still leaves the matter more 

 decidedly in favour of the " ab ovo " theory, which I attempted to 

 support in 'M. M. J,,' November, 1870, I am inclined to hope that 

 the foUoAnng experiments will still seem to point in the same direc- 

 tion. The practical importance which the subject is taking in 

 reference not only to the preservation of commercial products, as 

 meat, preserves, fish, wines, drugs, &c., but in its bearing upon 

 epidemic disease, render acceptable any communications that can in 

 any way throw light upon the subject. I therefore trust this may 

 not be devoid of interest. 



One wine merchant of my acquaintance tells me that he washes 

 his bottles out with Condy's fluid and water, and finds his wines 

 (especially claret) to keep better for it. He also tells me that when 

 opening a bottle of light wine, such as hock, claret, or sauterne, 

 which is not to be consumed on the day of opening, that he burns 

 a small sulphur-tipped match in the neck of the bottle, by which 

 means the wine is preserved from acetous fermentation for about a 

 week. 



Aug. 12tli, 1870. — I boiled a pint of distilled water in a Florence 

 flask, and whilst at boiling heat inserted 20 grains of tartar emetic. 

 This caused a new ebullition, as if some change was taking place 

 either in the water or the salt. The bottle being quite full, I inserted 

 a conical cork, and sealed it tight. 



Aug. IStJi. — In a wide-mouth stoppered bottle containing 23 oz. 

 of air, I put 8 oz. water and two ciibic centimetres of a solution of 

 potassic permanganate, containing 1 grain to every 10 centimetres 

 of water. After shaking for a few minutes, I inverted the stoppered 

 neck into a cup containing water and permanganate. The bottle was 

 afterwards frequently shaken. 



Aug. 19tli. — 1 filled some 2-oz. clear glass bottles with the liq. 

 antim. tart, made Aug. 12th. I then displaced half the contents of 

 the bottle (1 oz.) by the air washed with permanganate, and marked 

 the bottle A. The second bottle, B, was served in the same way. In 

 C, I burned a small piece of sulphur in the air contained in the npjier 

 half of the bottle. 



D had 10 di-achms displaced by air which had been washed -ndth 

 carbolic acid. 



In E, 1 oz. was displaced by air in which carbolic acid had been 

 volatilized. 



In F, 1 oz. was displaced by air which had been washed with an 

 aqueous solution of sulphurous acid. 



These bottles were all corked tightly, and sealed over, so as to 

 prevent access of air. 



