SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. I 33 



for any length of time exposure to a temperature equal to 

 that of boiling water. But it by no means follows from this 

 that the same temperature would necessarily suffice to de- 

 stroy all the indescribably minute germs from which some 

 of the lower animals and plants are produced. In point of 

 fact, many instances are known in which the eggs of various 

 animals, and the seeds of many plants, can withstand in- 

 jurious conditions to an extent of which the adults are 

 wholly incapable. And Mr Grace - Calvert has recently 

 shown that vibrios can endure a temperature in some cases 

 exceeding 300° Fahr. without being killed thereby. 



Lastly, many of the vegetable organisms present in the 

 infusions of Dr Bastian were seen fructifying and producing 

 spores in the ordinary manner. Had they been produced 

 spontaneously, and had this mode of production been the 

 natural one, it would, to say the least of it, be a very remark- 

 able fact if they should straightway proceed to reproduce 

 their kind in the manner which is believed to be the normal 

 and regular mode. This argument is a still stronger one 

 when applied to the Infusorian Animalcules, which are so 

 commonly found in organic infusions, but which do not 

 appear to have made their appearance in any of the fluids 

 experimented on by Dr Bastian. In this case, not only is 

 the organisation of the animals of a comparatively high 

 type, but we are perfectly familiar with their modes of re- 

 production ; and it would appear to be most unnecessary 

 that they should be produced spontaneously in the manner 

 alleged, since their fecundity by the ordinary methods of 

 reproduction is very great. 



Upon the whole, then, we can hardly avoid the conclu- 

 sion that some fallacy lurks under the experiments carried 

 out by Dr Bastian. Probably the living germs of the low- 

 est animals and plants are 7iot destroyed by a temperature 

 equal to that of boiling water; whilst some of the lower 

 forms of life may be able to endure conditions which might 

 at first sight be regarded as inevitably destructive of vitality. 

 7 



