328 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



this characteristic feature of muscardine, another very 

 significant peculiarity invariably showed itself, /". e. a 

 well-marked acidity of the blood, instead of the neutral 

 condition which is invariably met with in the healthy 

 worm or moth 1 . 



The fungus, continuing to grow through the tissues 

 of the animal in all directions, soon causes its death j 

 and, after twenty-four hours or less, it may make its 

 appearance externally through the thinnest portion of 

 the dorsal integument, and through the respiratory 

 spiracles, in the form of delicate snow-white tufts of 

 fungus-mycelium. These continue to grow rapidly, and 

 soon produce multitudes of minute spores, by means of 



always be developed in dead animals. According to Robin, this was 

 shown by M. Johannys in 1839 '> f r > as ^ e sa y s 'il a pu faire developper 

 ce vegetal sur des Vers k soie morts, places dans des conditions favorables 

 a- la fermentation et bors de toute communication avec des lieux infectes de 

 Muscardine. La moisissure se derelcppe aussi bien sur 1'animal mort 

 que sur les animaux inocule"s de leur vivant, et le v^g^tal obtenu par 

 inoculation est identique avec celui, que se d^veloppe sans cause 

 directement connue.' Whilst, according to evidence given by M. 

 Gu6rin-Mneville in 1851, 'la muscardine sporadique est une ter- 

 minaison naturelle de 1'existence du ver a soie, maladie qu'il est 

 impossible de prevenir d'une manifere absolue.' (Loc. cit, pp. 574 

 and 603.) 



1 From the evidence now in our possession, it is not perhaps possible 

 to say whether the acidity precedes the appearance of germs, or vice 

 versa. We do know, however, from the experiments of Dutrochet, that 

 a mixture of egg-albumen and water will remain unchanged for months, 

 but will always develop fungi within a few days after it has been slightly 

 acidified. ('Ann. des Sc. Nat.,' 1834 (Botan.), p. 34.) Again, milk 

 always assumes an acid reaction before its globules tegin to undergo 

 transformation into Penicillium-germs. 



