HISTORICAL. DAR 
the bacteria are fungi which produce putrefac- 
tion. 
In presence of these opinions, so diverse, as to 
the nature of the bacteria and their classification, 
we will finish by saying with Cohn : — 
“So long as the makers of microscopes do not 
place at our disposal much higher powers, and, as 
far as possible, without immersion, we will find 
ourselves, in the domain of the bacteria, in the 
situation of a traveller who wanders in an un- 
known country at the hour of twilight, at the 
moment when the light of day no longer suffices 
to enable him clearly to distinguish objects, and 
when he is conscious that, notwithstanding all his 
precautions, he is liable to lose his way.” 
