36 THE GERM THEORY OF DISEASE. 



and afterward exposed to favoring conditions of temperature 

 and light. With these and other infusions treated in this 

 manner, he found within a few days multitudes of living 

 forms. 



In order that these shall develop, he says that the flasks 

 should not be more than half or one-third full, and that 

 above the fluid there should be a partial vacuum. When it 

 was urged against his conclusions, that the temperature was 

 not sufficiently high, nor sufficiently prolonged, he increased 

 both, running the temperature to 300 F., but still obtained 

 the same result. 



Dr. Bastian enters into a very exhaustive argument, using 

 the facts developed by both the chemists and vitalists, for 

 the maintenance of his theory. 



He claims, stoutly, that the molecular motion theory of 

 Liebig is the true one, as far as it goes, but does not go far 

 enough, and quotes largely from him, while he also claims 

 that the fermentation theory of the vitalists is true, from the 

 point where they begin, but they do not begin early enough, 

 and quotes largely from them. In a word, Dr. Bastian claims 

 that these two theories are the opposite ends of a complete 

 cycle of manifestations, with the middle and most important 

 manifestations left out by both parties; i. e., that the one 

 passes over into the other. 



He takes the case of the production of vinegar. In the 

 ordinary and natural production of vinegar, the fermentation is 

 always accompanied by the presence of, or as Dr. Bastian claims, 

 the production of, the plant known as the Mycoderma Aceti. 



The chemists claim that this plant is an accident of the 

 fermentation, and not necessary to the operation, and succeed 

 by other means in producing vinegar, without the presence of 

 the plant. 



The vitalists admit the production of vinegar by purely 



