THEORY OF FERMENTATION 349 



gan to show signs of fermentation. It follows that the 

 deposit of vibrios of a completed butyric fermentation may 



FIG. 15 



be kept, at least for a certain time, without losing the power 

 of causing fermentation. It furnishes a butyric ferment, 

 capable of revival and action in a suitable fresh fermentable 

 medium. 



The reader who has attentively studied the facts which 

 we have placed before him cannot, in our opinion, entertain 

 the least doubt on the subject of the possible multiplication 

 of the vibrios of a fermentation of lactate of lime out of 

 contact with atmospheric oxygen. If fresh proofs of this 

 important proposition were necessary, they might be found 

 in the following observations, from which it may be inferred 

 that atmospheric oxygen is capable of suddenly checking a 

 fermentation produced by butyric vibrios, and rendering 

 them absolutely motionless, so that it cannot be necessary to 

 enable them to live. On May 7th, 1862, we placed in the 

 oven a flask holding 2.580 litres (4^ pints), and filled with 

 the solution of lactate of lime and phosphates, which we had 

 impregnated on the pth with two drops of a liquid in butyric 

 fermentation. In the course of a few days fermentation 

 declared itself: on the i8th it was active; on the 30th it was 

 very active. On June ist it yielded hourly 35 cc. (2.3 cubic 



