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wards jointed, are formed, and the plant now exists in the form of 

 root-like threads or thallus. The yeast-plant in the state of thallus 

 constitutes the Mycoderma Cerevisiae of Desmagieres. 



" Third stage, or that of Aerial Fructification. — After the lapse of 

 a farther time, vertical threads spring up from the thallus ; these, when 

 the plant has reached its complete development, become branched, 

 each branch bearing at its extremity a row of rounded and beaded 

 corpuscles. These corpuscles are about the size of the larger spo- 

 rules, but differ from those bodies in their darker colour and firmer 

 texture. Occasionally in the rows of beaded corpuscles one cell seve- 

 ral times larger than the rest is seen. A fungus, somewhat closely 

 resembling the yeast fungus in its perfect form, has been observed by 

 Bennett in the expectoration of an individual attacked with pneu- 

 mothorax. 



" From a consideration of the structure of the sporules of the yeast- 

 plant, their evident fungoidal character, their rapid growth, &c., it 

 occurred to us that the reason why the true or aerial reprodviction had 

 never been discovered, was to be found in the fact, that yeast being 

 used always in the state of sporules, sufficient time was not allowed 

 it, under ordinary circumstances, to attain its full development, for 

 which purpose probably many days would be required. * Acting on 

 this impression, we placed in an eight-ounce bottle a tablespoonful of 

 malt, poured over this about four ounces of hot water, and partially 

 closing the mouth with a perforated cork, set it aside for a fortnight. 

 At the end of that time we were rejoiced to find that our expectations 

 were fully realized, and that we had indeed discovered that which so 

 many other observers had failed to detect. This discovery was made 

 in August, 1850." 



Here for the present we take leave of these interesting and valuable 

 reports. Our notice has been hasty and imperfect, but sufl3cient has 

 been said to show that most unjustifiable practices are resorted to in 

 the case of the above-mentioned indispensable articles of food ; and 

 we cannot refrain from asking why the law should not be called into 

 action for the suppression of the rogueries here described ? Now, 

 these " tricks of trade " may be played with impunity; yet what dif- 

 ference is there morally between the direct picking of pockets, and 

 the indirect methods of attaining the same object here described ? 

 The baker who poisons our bread, consigns mercilessly to the hands 

 of the police the starving urchin whose necessities have driven him to 

 abstract feloniously a penny roll from the counter ; the grocer who 

 sophisticates almost every article that leaves his shop, good man and 



