31 6 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



Fungi on the one hand, and by 'Bacteria and Vihriones 

 on the other. 



I am not aware of any experiments tending to show 

 that spores of Fungi can survive after exposure for even 

 a few seconds in fluids raised to the temperature of 

 boiling water (100 C) ; whilst, on the other hand, 

 there is the concurrent testimony of many observers 

 to the fact that, after such exposure, germination 

 would never take place because the spores were no 

 longer living 1 . This was the result obtained in many 

 experiments made by Bulliard, and related in his 

 c Histoire des Champignons.' Mere contact with 

 boiling water was found sufficient to prevent germi- 

 nation; and M. Hoffmann 2 similarly ascertained that 

 an exposure for from four to ten seconds to the 

 influence of boiling water sufficed to prevent the 

 germination of all the Fungus spores with which he 

 experimented. The experience -of other observers 

 has been similar to that above quoted, and amongst 

 these we may cite M. Pasteur himself. Speaking 

 of his experiments with boiled milk in Schwann's 

 apparatus, M. Pasteur says 3 : c je n'ai jamais vu se 

 former, dans le lait ainsi traite autre chose que des 

 Vibrions et des Bacteriums, aucune Mucedmee^ aucune 



1 I have lately been informed, however, by Mr. Lowne, that he has 

 seen a minute fungus continue to grow, notwithstanding an immersion in 

 boiling water for two or three minutes So far as I know, this is an 

 altogether unique observation which stands in need of confirmation. 



2 Bullet, de la Soc. Bot.' t. viii. p. 803. 



8 'Annal. de Chim. et de Physique,' 1862, p. 60. 



