114 General Notices. 



either enfeebled or destroyed ; the cells tlieinselves being isolated and de- 

 tached, and the circulation through tlieni interrupted, or altogether anni- 

 hilated, are now unable to maintain an independent existence, and their 

 vitality becoming enfeebled, the laws of chemical affinity are called into 

 operation, gases are generated in the interior cells, producing finally rup- 

 ture, and a decomposition of their contents. Thus, therefore, by the sim- 

 ple and mechanical operation of tlie fungus alluded to is the destruction 

 of fruit insured, and a satisfactory explanation aftbrded of the rapid decay 

 of certain kinds. 



" But," continues the author, " it may be asked, is not fungus, to which 

 allusion has been made, an effect and not a cause of decay ? I am of opin- 

 ion for reasons presently to be stated, that it cannot be regarded in any 

 other light than as a cause — not the only one, indeed, but as the principal 

 and exciting cause — of the phenomena of decay in fruit. All the causes, 

 for there are several minor ones, which concur in producing decay in 

 fruits, may be divided into the predisposing, tiie exciting, and the proxi- 

 mate. Among the predisposing, may be mentioned imperfect develop- 

 ment of the fruit, an over-ripe state of it, or a lax condition of the paren- 

 chyma, or pulp. The exciting causes are injuries, more especially 

 bruises or contusions, but, above all, the fungus, or fungi spoken of, 

 while the immediate cause is impeded circulation, which brings witli it 

 tlie results above detailed." 



The author next drew a parallel between mortification occurring in the 

 animal frame, and that peculiar form of decay in fruit arising from, the 

 pi-esenco of fungoid production, which he proposed to designate vegetable 

 mortification. He then, in order to show liow fur the presence of the 

 fungus is necessary for tlie production of decay in fruit, endeavored to 

 explain the phenomena without reference to it. He said the decay " af- 

 fected the soundest and finest fruit as well as tliat of opposite descrip- 

 tion," and from this he concluded that the cause, whatever it might be, 

 was of a local, and not a constitutional character. The supposition there- 

 fore, that the decay, in those instances in which it occurs in sound fruit, 

 arises from enfeebled vitality of the whole fruit affected, could not afford 

 a satisfactory explanation ; since, if that were the case, every part of a 

 fruit, an apple or pear, for example, about to pass to decay, ought to be 

 equally and simultaneously involved. Neither would the opinion that the 

 decay "was the result of diminished vital energy in the bruised or injured 

 portion of tlie fruit be any more satisfiictory ; unless it were argued that 

 fruits were subject to an inflammatory process ; for how otherwise could 

 the extension of the decay to the sound portion be accounted for ? " But 

 a third attempt a^. an explanation" he said, " might be made on the ground 

 that atmospheric air enters more readily through the iiruised portion of 

 the fruit, and that its oxygen, combining with the elements of the contents 

 of the injured cells, formed deleterious compounds which effect the de- 

 composition of the sound parenchyma; but the falsity of this view is easi- 

 ly proved by the fact that air is rather unfavorable to the form of decom- 

 position here spoken of, as may be demonstrated by a simple experi- 

 ment: if apples divided by a knife be exposed to the air, together with 

 such as are bruised, tlie skin not being ruptured, the decay of the bruised 

 fruit will result more quickly than tliat of the simply incised fruit." Mr. 

 Hassall therefore, seeing the deficiencies of the only explanations which 

 it appeared to him, could be suggested of the particular form of decay 



