72 LIFE. 



organisms been derived ? The water which was examined 

 at first appeared perfectly clear, but now it is filled with 

 living beings. How did they come there? It has been 

 stated that simple organisms such as these may spring up 

 spontaneously; but this statement may be met by very 

 serious objections, if, indeed, it is not contradicted by facts 

 open to the observation of all. The doctrine of spontaneous 

 generation has again quite recently been revived in France, 

 and of course has been again refuted by an overwhelming 

 mass of evidence. It has been proved that if dead animal or 

 vegetable matter be dried, and so placed that the admission of 

 atmospheric air which has passed through strong sulphuric 

 acid or liquor potassae is alone admitted, organisms will 

 nevertheless appear, and all those phenomena which we 

 have already observed will ensue. The minute germs which 

 were protected in the interstices of the vegetable matter 

 become developed into organisms resembling those from 

 which they were derived. It seems almost impossible to 

 destroy the germs without destroying the organic matter in 

 which they were embedded and by which they may have 

 been protected even from the destructive influence of boil- 

 ing water. 



Some experiments performed by Dr. Wyman seem to 

 show that bacteria germs which would live in a solution 

 which had been boiled might be destroyed by being boiled 

 for six hours or longer. 



There is reason for believing that many germs of low 

 organisms exist which are far too minute and too transparent 

 to be seen by the aid of the highest magnifying powers at our 

 command, and that while in this condition rapid multiplica- 



