195 The Question of Organic Evolution. (April, 
protoplasm from non-living matter.” These admissions show 
that, consistently or not, abiogenesis is not the universal 
creed of evolutionists. On the other hand, it must be 
conceded that, if equivocal generation is once demonstrated, 
the opponents of Darwinism have no longer a cause to 
defend. Heterogenesis—the transformation of organisms 
already existing—is conceivable without abiogenesis, but — 
abiogenesis necessarily involves heterogenesis. 
Under these circumstances it is highly desirable that the 
question should receive the fullest attention, and be decided, 
if capable of decision, in a manner which will admit of no 
appeal. 
Towards this final solution, Dr. Bastian furnishes an 
important contribution in the work before us. He describes 
the following experiments, which we are bound to pronounce 
most significant. 
Experiment 1.—A strong infusion of turnip was rendered 
faintly alkaline by liquor potass@, and to this a few separate 
muscular fibres of a cod-fish were added. Some of this mix- 
ture was introduced into a flask of nearly two ounces capacity. 
Its neck was drawn out and afterwards hermetically sealed 
by the blowpipe flame, while the fluid within was boiling. 
When thus closed the flask was about half full of fluid. it 
was then introduced into a digester, which was gradually 
heated, and afterwards kept at a temperature of 270° to 
275° F. for twenty minutes, though it seems well to point 
out that, if we include the time taken for the water of the 
digester (in which the closed flask was immersed) to attain 
this heat, and also again to cool down to 230 F.; this flask 
was exposed to temperatures above 230° F. for one hour, as 
I myself carefully noted at the time. When withdrawn 
from the digester the closed flask was kept at a temperature 
of 70 to 80° F. for eight weeks, and during part of this time 
it was exposed to direct sunlight. After it had been ascer- 
tained that the flask was free from all crack or fault, its 
neck was broken in order that its contents might be 
examined. The reaction of the fluid was found to have 
become decidedly acid, and it had a sour though not foetid 
odour. The fluid was very slightly turbid, and there was a 
well-marked sediment, consisting of reddish fragments and 
a light flocculent deposit. On microscopical examination 
the fragments were found to be portions of altered muscular 
fibre, whilst the flocculent deposit was composed for the 
most part of granular aggregations of Bacteria. In the 
portions of fluid and of deposit which were examined, there 
were thousands of Bacteria of most diverse shapes and sizes, 
