52 STUDIES ON FERMENTATION. 



doubtless serve for the production of new beings which did not 

 issue from parents which resembled them. This novel enuncia- 

 tion of the hypothesis of spontaneous generation, the only one, 

 we think, that could be defended after the publication of our 

 Memoir, in 1802, is condemned by the preceding facts. 



The same facts completely upset the hypothesis recently 

 maintained by Messrs. Fremy and Trecul on the subject of the 

 causes of fermentation. 



" Side by side with the immediate, definite principles which 

 may be formed by synthesis," saj-^s M. Fremy, " such as 

 glucose, oxalic acid, and urea, other substances of greatly in- 

 ferior stability exist, the constitution of which is considerably 

 more complicated, containing all the elements of living organs, 

 such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and even phos- 

 phorus and sulphur ; and often salts of lime and of the alkalies 

 besides. These bodies are albumen, fibrin, casein, the congeners 

 of vitellin and others. Chemical synthesis cannot reproduce 

 them. It is impossible, in my opinion, to regard them as im- 

 mediate, definite principles. I designate them by the general 

 name of semi- organized bodies, because they hold an intermediate 

 place between the immediate principle and the organized tissue. 



" These semi-organized bodies, which contain all the elements 

 of organs, have the power, like a dr}^ seed-grain, of existing 

 in a state of organic immobility, and of becoming active under 

 circumstances which favour organic development. By reason of 

 the vital energy that they possess they undergo a succession of 

 decompositions, giving origin to new derivatives, and to the 

 advent of ferments, not by any process oi spontaneous r/eneration, 

 but by a vital energy/, which pre-exists in the semi-organized 

 bodies, and is simpl}'- carried on, when this energy manifests 

 itself, in these most varied organic changes." 



After having expressed these hypothetical and confused 

 opinions, M. Fremy continues : — " I do not consider, then, 

 that these semi-organized bodies serve merel}' as nourishment 

 for certain animal and vegetable organisms, which may be the 

 sole agents of fermentations, but I give them a direct role and 



