174 Boyal Society: — 



oiatiou Meetiug at Liverpool as a source of fallacy, and has been 

 demonstrated to be so by Dr. Ferdinand Cohn in experiments 

 made \\ii\\ peas and infusion of peas (' Beitriige zur Biologie der 

 Ptlauzeu,' Breslau, 1S72). Further, we had limited the bulk of 

 our infusions and the size of our experimental tubes, in view of 

 the obvious consideration that the larger the mass and area to be 

 guarded against contamination the greater the chance of failure 

 in that respect. Thirdly, it had not occurred to us to make use of 

 vessels in these experiments of a form so inconvenient and diffi- 

 cult to thoroughly guard against effects of " spluttering," and to 

 thoroughly heat by boiling, as the retort. Nor could we guess, 

 in the absence of any directions on that point from Dr. Bastian, 

 that it was desirable to exclude the rind of the turnip from the 

 preparation of the infusion. The correspondence in ' Nature,' 

 however, indicated that " pounded " cheese (necessarily in a condi- 

 tion of soM lumps) was added (in some cases) to his experimental 

 vessels after the turnip-infusion, and was present during ebullition. 

 It also appeared that retorts capable of holding two ounces were 

 the vessels used ; whilst, on grounds not given, it was considered 

 advantageous by Dr. Bastian to peel the turnips before slicing 

 them. 



The followdng experiments were accordingly made : — 



An infusion of turnip (minus the rind) was prepared and filtered ; 

 it had sp. gr. 1012-7. In the experiments Xos. 34 to 47 two-ounce 

 retorts were used, and the bulb half filled with the experimental 

 infusion. 



No. 34. The infusion neutralized with KHO. About two grains 

 of pounded cheese in pellets added to the retort. 



Nos. 35, 36. Infusion not neutrahzed. About two grains of 

 pounded cheese in pellets added to the retort. 



Nos. 37, 38, 39. The simple infusion. 



No. 40. The simple infusion, to wliich were added a few drops 

 of an emulsion of cheese prepared \^ith some of the turnip-infu- 

 sion and new cheese, the emulsion having been filtered. 



No. 41. The simple infusion. 



Nos. 31 to 40 were boiled for five minutes ; they were then pre- 

 served in the air-bath at a temperature of 35° C, and sealed approxi- 

 mately during ebullition. Four of them, including No. 36, -nere 

 subjected to a further boiling of fifteen minutes in a water-bath 

 after sealing. 



No. 41 was boiled for five minutes and placed on a shelf with 

 its mouth open. 



Siwseqnent ap>pearances in Retorts Kos. 34—41, 



On Feb. 15th Nos. 34, 35, 37 were opened and found to be 

 perfectly sweet and free from a development of Bacteria or other 

 organisms. 



No. 41 was observed to be perfectly limpid, and is so still 

 (March 17th). 



On Feb. 27th Nos. 36, 38, 39, and 40 were opened. With the 



