STUDIES ON FERMENTATION. 95 



the spores will be transformed, if the flasks are perfectly 

 air-tight."* 



Such is the manner in which M. Trecul regards these changes. 

 His is entirely a system of spontaneous generation, worked out 

 into minutest detail, from the transformation of the albuminous 

 substances to the formation of cells of the higher organisms, 

 passing from the disintegration of the original substances to the 

 formation of very fine granules, from these to the creation of 

 active bacteria, which last, in their turn, become lactic ferment 

 through the simple cessation of their faculty of moving and so 

 on. We regard all this as purely imaginary. As a matter of 

 fact, M. Trecul's argument is based on the successive phenomena 

 which manifest themselves in filtered wort " containing no 

 granulations." As M. Trecul reasons, this condition is a neces- 

 sity, for he starts with the assertion that the albuminous sub- 

 stances in the wort become changed into granulations " that will 

 develop into active bacteria." This is another of M. Trecul's 

 illusions. No doubt we may filter hopped wort to almost per- 

 fect clearness, but we can only do this when it is cold. If we 

 filter it warm, it will be bright as long as it remains warm, but 

 as soon as cold it will appear turbid, in consequence of the great 

 number of minute granules floating in it. Again, cold wort, 

 however little it may be or has been in contact with air, under- 

 goes a process of oxidation, and this oxidation, which acts 

 principally on the colouring or resinous matter, causes a deposit 

 of fine granules, the number of which is constantly increasing 

 as oxidation goes on. These granules form an absolutely inert 

 precipitate which, under no possible circumstances, can become 



* Teecul, Comptes rendus deVAcademie, t. Ixxv. p. 1169, November 11, 

 1872. A proof of M. Trecul's carelessness in experiments of this kind is 

 the fact that in studying the fertility of an impregnated wort, he often 

 obtains different productions. Our experiments give opposite results. 

 If we sow nothing, we obtain nothing. If we sow a plant, we obtain a 

 similar plant ; or, should there be any difference, the change may be 

 traced, bej'ond question, to its origin in the plant sown, and is the con- 

 sequence of some alteration in the conditions of our experiment. 



