290 



STUDIES OX FERMENTATION. 



conducted a similar one, which we intermitted after the fer- 

 mentation was somewhat advanced, and about half of the 

 tartrate dissolved. Breaking off, with a file, the exit tube at 

 the point where the neck began to narrow off, we took some of 

 the deposit from the bottom b}^ means of a long, straight piece 

 of tubing, in order to bring it under microscopical examination. 

 We found it to consist of a host of long filaments of extreme 

 tenuity, their diameter being about -, „'ooth of a millimetre 

 (0 000039 in.) ; their length varied, in some cases being as 



Fig. 68. 



much as TrVtb of a millimetre (O'OOIQ in.). A crowd of these 

 long vibrios were to be seen creeping slowly along, with a 

 sinuous movement, showing three, four, or even five flexures. 

 The filaments that were at rest had the same aspect as these 

 last, with the exception that they appeared punctate, as though 

 composed of a series of granules arranged in irregular order. 

 No doubt these were vibrios in which vital action had ceased, 

 exhausted specimens which we may compare with the old 

 granular ferment of beer, whilst those in motion may be com- 

 pared with young and vigorous yeast. The absence of movement 

 in the former seems to prove that this view is correct. Both 

 kinds showed a tendency to form clusters, the compactness of 

 which impeded the movements of those which were in motion. 

 Moreover, it was noticeable that the masses of these latter rested 

 on tartrate not yet dissolved, whilst the granular clusters of the 

 others rested directly on the glass, at the bottom of the flask, 

 as if, having decomposed the tartrate, the only carbonaceous 

 food at their disposal, they had then died at the spot where we 



