-Appendix. 77 



atmosphere, even in summer ; and I apprehend that none can 

 be found in winter, in high latitudes ; 3d, That multiplication by 

 the ordinary process of reproduction, will not adequately ac- 

 count for the thousands of ciliated infusoria, often met with in 

 the course of a few days, in many organic infusions. 



These objections, supported by numerous experiments, 

 should be regarded as sufficient to dispose of the Panspermic 

 theory of Pasteur, as unsound and fallacious. 



No animalcules, flies, insects, or their ova, can exist in the 

 atmosphere in winter, in high latitudes, without being destroyed. 

 Hence we have no flies and no insects in cold weather. The ex- 

 periments reported by Prof. Wyman were made in winter ; and 

 hence the swarms of animalcules that were developed could not 

 have come from atmospheric germs ; but must have been gener- 

 ated spontaneously, from the water and vegetable matter which 

 he used. Prof. Wyman says : 



" After the flasks were prepared, they were suspended from 

 the walls of a sitting room, near the ceiling, where they were 

 exposed to a temperature of between 70 deg. and 80 deg. F., 

 throughout the day, and nearly the same during the night." 



After stating the details of each experiment, the materials 

 used, and its results showing that in different flasks vibrios, 

 bacteriums, monads, and other species of animalcules were pro- 

 duced, often in large numbers, the Professor says : 



"We have here a series of thirty-three experiments, pre- 

 pared in different ways, in which solutions of organic matter, 

 some of them previously filtered have been boiltd at the ordinary 

 pressure of the atmosphere, for a length of time, varying from 

 15 minutes to two hours, and exposed to air purified by heat." 



" In many instances, a solution like that in sealed flasks, 

 and boiled for the same length of time, was exposed to the ordi- 

 nary air of the room, in an open flask. Although the same 

 forms were found in the two, they appeared much more rapidly 

 in the open than in the closed vessel." 



" The result of the experiments here described is, that the 

 boiled solution of organic matter made use of, exposed only to air 



