30 DR. T.YNDALVS STATEMENTS 



revealed in the air by a sunbeam is organic, probably 

 germs of animal and vegetable life." 



In a subsequent letter to the "Times " (April 2ist), 

 Dr. Tyndall says that the organic matter of London 

 air is not all "germinal matter!" The lecturer has 

 spoken of germs, animalcules and germinal matter, but 

 he does not explain whether these terms are used by 

 him for the same thing or for different things. He 

 speaks of the " morass of wordy discussion and contra- 

 dictory argument," in which he says, without identifying 

 the offender, " the germ theory of disease and the 

 question of spontaneous generation are entangled," 

 and with surpassing simplicity he assures the editor of 

 the " Times " that he is " unpledged to more than a 

 clear statement of the germ theory," and refers to 

 the exactness of physics and chemistry, and to the 

 methods by which he proposes to detach " from the 

 domain of vagueness and uncertainty each successive 

 fragment of demonstrated truth ! " 



In common fairness, Dr. Tyndall should have studied 

 the matter a little before he gave his first lecture, 

 instead of in his last characteristically excusing him- 

 self on the ground of " tenderness for the public,"* for 

 not alluding to the researches of others, and for with- 



* The considerate tenderness which, as a rule, is reserved exclusively 

 for the public, is, it must be admitted, on one occasion extended to- 

 wards an individual. Dr. Tyndall did indeed admit that he could 

 not read without "sympathetic emotion" the papers of an observer, 

 whom, however, a stern sense of justice compels him to regard as "a 

 man of strong imagination " as one "who may occasionally take a 



