318 A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION TO THE 
was removed to prevent the froth from reaching the cotton. For the milk 
when decanted just four months after the boiling, proved perfectly good, having 
a slight flavour of turnip as might be expected of winter milk; its reaction 
showed the peculiar character now known to be possessed by that fluid when 
fresh, purpling blue as well as red litmus paper, and the microscope showed no 
appearance of organisms or of the granular masses of deposited caseine often 
seen as an early indication of fermentative change, while the milk globules were 
bright and unaltered. 
These observations were made upon the first two or three drachms that 
flowed from the syphon, received into an unprepared glass, as should always 
be done to wash out any residual water from the tube, and thus ensure uni- 
formity of the contents of the experimental glasses. Of the latter, one was at 
once exposed in my study by removing the shade and glass cap to receive any 
organisms that might fall into it, and was covered again with cap and shade 
after fourteen hours, including the night and early morning in which the furniture 
was ‘ dusted’ with a cloth by the servant, but the glass carefully avoided. It 
was then placed beside the other glasses in a cupboard, the temperature of 
which varied from about 65° to 70° Fahr. 
On the 2oth of the month I observed for the first time a delicate filamentous 
fungus on one part of the side of the glass, extending upwards from the milk 
for about an eighth of an inch; and at the same time a semitransparent layer 
which had been noticed for about two days previously at the surface of the 
milk was found to have increased in thickness. Two days later this layer had 
attained a depth of one-sixth of an inch, and I proceeded to investigate its nature, 
thinking it probable that it might be a change induced by the growth of the 
fungus. But on trying to take up a portion with the syringe pipette, I en- 
countered a most unexpected difficulty in extreme viscidity of the liquid. I had 
before observed the effects produced upon milk by thirteen different organisms, 
including six distinct kinds of bacteria, but though the products had differed 
extraordinarily in colour, reaction, and consistence viscidity had in no case 
been witnessed. Here, however, the upper part of the milk had been con- 
verted into the most viscid substance I ever saw. When I at length succeeded 
in extracting the pipette without any of its contents getting upon the outside 
of the glass, I found that on touching any object with the delicate end of the 
tube and withdrawing it, the tiny drop became extended into a thread a foot 
and a quarter in length, as delicate as the finest spider’s web and barely visible 
from its tenuity. I afterwards amused myself with spinning webs from one 
object to another. When dry they exhibited considerable tenacity, and thicker 
ones broke with an audible snap when subjected to longitudinal traction, while 
