STUDIES ON FERMENTATIOX. 289 



studied with greater care : the present statement of the nature 

 of the products formed is given with all reserve. For our point, 

 indeed, the matter is of little importance, since the equation of 

 the fermentation does not concern us. 



After the completion of fermentation there was not a trace of 

 tartrate of lime remaining at the bottom of the vessel : it had 

 disappeared gradually as it got broken up into the different 

 products of fermentation, and its place was taken by some 

 crystallized carbonate of lime — the excess, namely, which had 

 been unable to dissolve by the action of the carbonic acid. 

 Associated, moreover, with this carbonate of lime there was a 

 quantity of some kind of animal matter, which, under the 

 microscope, appeared to be composed of masses of granules 

 mixed with very fine filaments of varying lengths, studded 

 with minute dots, and presenting all the characteristics of a 

 nitrogenous organic substance.* That this was really the fer- 

 ment is evident enough from all that we have already said. 

 To convince ourselves more thoroughly of the fact, and at the 

 same time to enable us to observe the mode of activity of the 

 organism, we instituted the following supplementary observa- 

 tion. Side by side with the experiment just described, we 



volume of liquid being sufficient and the weight of tartrate suitably chosen 

 — we may set aside tartrate of lime in an insoluble, crystalline powder, 

 along with phosphates at the bottom of a closed vessel fall of water, and 

 find soon afterwards in their place carbonate of lime, and, in the liquid, 

 soluble salts of lime, with a mass of organic matter at the bottom, without 

 any liberation of gas or appearance of fermentation ever taking place, 

 except as far as the vital action and transformation in the tartrate are 

 concerned. It is easy to calculate that a vessel or flask of five litres 

 (rather more than a gallon) would be large enough for the accomplishment 

 of this remarkable and singularly quiet transformation, in the case of 

 fifty grammes (767 grains) of tartrate of lime. 



* We treated the whole deposit with dilute hydrochloric acid, which 

 dissolved the carbonate of lime, and the insoluble phosphates of calcium 

 and magnesium ; afterwards filtering the liquid through a weighed filter 

 paper. Dried at 100° C. (212° F.), the weight of organic matter thiis 

 obtained was 0'54 gramme (8-3 grains), which was rather more than 

 ■s-iTrth of the weight of fermentable matter. 



