288 ON THE GERM THEORY OF PUTREFACTION 
But while some of the buds proceeding from the filaments had thus the char- 
acter of toruloid conidia, differing from ordinary branches not only by their 
form but by their thicker and more substantial character, it was more common 
to see sprouts presenting the opposite condition of extreme slenderness, as at 1 
and o, and similar delicate bodies were often seen free, commonly in pairs, as 
represented in the series /, £, g, y. Of these, / resembles in its thicker half a 
very young plant such as m, while its more slender portion corresponds with /. 
This again, as well as the still more delicate g and 7, seemed to be neither more 
nor less than bacteria, as was shown not only by their form, but by the fact 
that precisely similar bodies were not unfrequently seen exhibiting active and 
perfectly characteristic movements. Further, there were many motionless 
bodies, such as s, which previous experience enabled me to recognise as young 
bacteria multiplying by segmentation, while they were fully equal in thickness 
to sprouts, such as 0, proceeding from the filaments. The identity of the bacteria 
with the filaments was further indicated by the precise similarity of the delicate 
transverse markings often observed in the former (as in # and 7) with those of 
young plants, such as m. 
That bacteria should originate from filamentous fungi was an idea entirely 
opposed to the preconceived notions with which I entered upon this inquiry ; 
for, in common with those authorities on the subject whose observations ap- 
peared entitled to greatest weight, I had regarded these organisms as a separate 
and altogether distinct group. But the contrary conclusion was forced upon 
me not only by the observation which I am now recording, but by various 
others, some of which will be described in the sequel. I need hardly remark 
that, if correct, it is of the very highest interest. 
In the present instance it is certain that the bacteria moving in the liquid 
were identical, morphologically, with buds derived from the fungus ; and this 
fact receives additional weight from the circumstance that the glass had been 
left untouched for seven months, having been previously securely guarded 
against the entrance of organisms from without ; and even if bacteria, as such, 
had been accidentally introduced when the vessel was last exposed, it is in the 
highest degree improbable that they would have remained in an active condition 
for such a protracted period. If, therefore, we set aside the idea of spontaneous 
generation, which I trust before this paper is concluded the reader will see 
that we are justified in doing, it is difficult to conceive how these bacteria could 
have arisen, except from a gradual alteration in the character of the original 
organism under the influence of progressive changes in the medium which it 
inhabited.? 
* It is indeed conceivable that a bacterium incapable of growing in fresh urine may have lain 
