6 8 ORIGIN OF FUNGI FR OM OIL- GL OB ULES, 



specimen. I am expected to believe not only that a 

 living vegetable organism may be formed directly from an 

 oil globule in milk, but that this was proved more than thirty 

 years ago, and that an observation of such transcendent 

 importance has been either entirely overlooked or pur- 

 posely disregarded by all but one (Dr. Bastian) of the many 

 observers who have since studied the question, and per- 

 formed experiments for the purpose of determining it. 

 Now, I must say plainly, that the observation in question, 

 is in my judgment, utterly worthless. Had it not been 

 worthless, I maintain that it would have been confirmed 

 not by one or two but by dozens of observers, for few have 

 seen the fungi growing in milk without such an idea pre- 

 senting itself. Hundreds of observers must have seen the 

 appearances in question. I cannot prove that a milk glo 

 bule cannot be converted into a fungus, any more than I can 

 prove that the germ of a crocodile or a hippopotamus has 

 not been derived from Nile mud.* It seems to me simply 

 a waste of time to discuss either proposition. Any one 

 may, of course, believe in the truth of one or both, but I 

 could no more permit my judgment upon any scientific 



* Dr. Bastian discovers nematoid worms in connection with the 

 fragments of decaying vegetable tissues, and thinks that he has shown 

 that the spores of the plant (vauchera) have undergone conversion into 

 true nematoids. The Pall Mall Gazette (Aug. 26, 1872) supports his 

 view, and. remarks, "to our minds, at least, these experiments, which 

 purport to show the conversion of vegetal into animal species, appear 

 perfectly and entirely conclusive as to the accuracy of the facts de- 

 scribed ! " It must be very satisfactory and convincing to men of science 

 toJbQ assured that the Pall Mall Gazette has made up its minds on the 

 question "of the conversion of vegetals into worms. But the " Saturday 

 Review " is of the same opinion, so that there can no longer be any 

 doubt that live worms spring from living, dying, or dead vegetals. 



