STUDIES ON FERMENTATION. 113 



carbonic acid gas and alcoliol, the formation of which we have 

 shown experimentally to take place at a high temperature, after 

 submerging the film of mycoderma vini* There can be no 

 doubt that we have here a phenomenon similar in every point 

 to that presented by penicillium and mpe)'gillus, which we 

 studied in the preceding paragraph. When the germs or jointed 

 filaments of mycoderma vini, growing on a saccharine substratum 

 in contact with the air, are in the full activity of life, this 

 activit}^ is carried on at the expense of the sugar and other 

 materials in the liquid, in the same way that animals consume 

 the oxygen of the air and evolve carbonic acid. 



The consumption of the different materials is attended with 

 a proportionate formation of new materials, development of 

 structure, and reproduction of organisms. 



Under these conditions, not only does the mycoderma vini not 

 form a sufficiency of alcohol for analytical determination, but, 

 if any alcohol exists in the subjacent liquid, the mycoderma con- 

 sumes it, converting it into water and carbonic acid gas, by 



* We may prove the occurrence of alcoliolic fermentation by the cells of 

 submerged mycoderma vini in a different manner. To do this, after 

 having made all our preparations as before and shaken up the film of 

 mycoderma vini in its liquid, we must attach our flask to a test flask 

 (Fig. 19), and pass the turbid liquid into the latter. On succeeding days 

 we shall detect a very protracted fermentation in the test flask ; there 

 will be a succession of minute bubbles rising from the bottom, but in 

 small number at a time. The fermentation is very evident whilst it lasts, 

 but is rather sluggish, and, although of very long duration, ceases long 

 before the sugar is exhausted. 



This experiment proves better than any other the non -transformation 

 oi mycoderma vini into other ordinary fungoid growths. For after decanting 

 the liquid into the test flasks, the sides of the experimental flask remain 

 covered with streaks of mycoderma vini along with some of the liquid. 

 Moreover, the flask is refilled with air, and this air is being constantly 

 renewed, in part, by variations of the temperature of the oven, so that 

 the mycoderma remaining on the sides is thus placed under the most 

 favourable conditions for transformation into other fungoid growths, if 

 that were possible. It is still more easy to detach the experimental 

 from the test flask, and to pass pure air into it, once or twice a day, or 

 constantly. In any case, we shall never see anything besides the 

 mycoderma vini spring up within it. 



I 



