APPENDIX. 397 



living, organized ferments spring only from similar organisms 

 likewise endowed with life ; and that the germs of these 

 ferments exist in a state of suspension in the air, or on the 

 exterior surface of objects. M. Fremy asserts that these 

 ferments are formed by the force of hemi-organism acting on 

 albuminous substances, in contact with air. We may put the 

 matter more precisely by two examples : — 



Wine is produced by a ferment, that is to say, by minute, 

 vegetative cells which multiply by budding. According to us, 

 the germs of these cells abound in autumn on the surface of 

 grapes and the woody parts of their bunches ; and the proofs 

 which we have given of this fact are as clear as any evidence 

 can be. According to M. Fremy, the cells of ferment are pro- 

 duced by spontaneous generation, that is to say, by the trans- 

 formation of nitrogenous substances contained in the juice of 

 the grape, as soon as that juice is brought into contact with 

 air. 



Again, blood flows from a vein ; it putrefies, and in a very 

 short time swarms with bacteria or vibrios. According to us 

 the germs of these bacteria and vibrios have been introduced by 

 particles of dust floating in the air or derived from the surface 

 of objects, possibly the body of the wounded animal, or the 

 vessels employed, or a variety of other objects. M. Fremy, on 

 the other hand, asserts that these bacteria or vibrios are pro- 

 duced spontaneously, because the albumen, and the fibrin of 

 the blood themselves possess a semi-organization, which causes 

 them, when in contact with air, to change spontaneously into 

 these marvellously active minute beings. 



Has M. Fi-emy given any proof of the truth of his theory '^ 

 By no manner of means ; he confines himself to asserting that 

 things are as he says they are. He is constantly speaking of 

 hemi-organism and its efiects, but we do not find his affirmations 

 supported by a single experimental proof. There is, neverthe- 

 less, a very simple means of testing the truth of the theory of 

 hemi-organism ; and on this point M. Fremy and ourselves are 

 quite at one. This means consists in taking a quantity of grape 



