400 POISONS, CONTAGIONS, MIASMS. 



ent states of the transposition of the elements of the 

 exciting body, the elements of the sugar arrange 

 themselves in different manners, that is, different 

 products are formed. 



The immediate contact of the decomposing sub- 

 stance with the sugar is the cause by which its 

 particles are made to assume new forms and natures. 

 The removal of that substance occasions the cessa- 

 tion of the decomposition of the sugar, so that, 

 should its transformation be completed before the 

 sugar, the latter can suffer no further change. 



In none of these processes of decomposition is 

 the exciting body reproduced ; for the conditions 

 necessary to its reproduction do not exist in the 

 elements of the sugar. 



Just as yeast, putrefying flesh, and the stomach 

 of a calf in a state of decomposition, when intro- 

 duced into solutions of sugar, effect the transforma- 

 tion of this substance, without being themselves re- 

 generated ; in the same manner, miasms and certain 

 contagious matters produce diseases in the human 

 organism, by communicating the state of decompo- 

 sition, of which they themselves are the subject, to 

 certain parts of the organism, without themselves 

 being reproduced in their peculiar form and nature 

 during the progress of the decomposition. 



The disease in this case is not contagious. 



Now when yeast is introduced into a mixed liquid 

 containing both sugar and gluten, such as wort, the 

 act of decomposition of the sugar effects a change 

 in the form and nature of the gluten, which is, in 

 consequence, also subjected to transformation. As 

 long as some of the fermenting sugar remains, gluten 

 continues to be separated as yeast, and this new 

 matter in its turn excites fermentation in a fresh 

 solution of sugar or wort. If the sugar, however, 

 should be first decomposed, the gluten which re- 

 mains in solution is not converted into yeast. We 

 see, therefore, that the reproduction of the exciting 

 body here depends, — 



