180 
We cannot view without great dissatisfaction the pro- 
duction of educational books like the present one on a 
branch of science in which the author has not worked 
himself, and in the progress of which he is not sufficiently 
interested to lead him to keep up with some of its most 
important advances. It is an injury to the study itself, 
and an injustice to those seriously engaged in that 
study. 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[Zhe Etitor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his correspondents, No notice is taken of anonymous 
communications. | 
Dr. Bastian’s Experiments on the Beginnings of Life 
In every experimental science it is of great importance that 
the methods by which leading facts can be best demonstrated, 
should be as clearly defined and as widely known as possible. 
This is particularly true as regards physiology, a science of 
which the experimental basis is as yet imperfect. All experi- 
ments by which a certainty can be shown to exist where there 
was before a doubt, serve as foundation stones. It is well 
worth while taking some pains to lay them properly. 
Your readers are aware that Dr. Bastian, in his work on the 
Beginnings of Life, has asserted that in certain infusions the 
** lower organisms ” come into existence under conditions which 
have been generally admitted to exclude the possibility of 
the pre-existence of living germs. It is also well known that 
these experimental results are disputed. 
Not long ago I witnessed the opening of a number of experi- 
mental flasks chargel many months ago by a friend of mine 
with infusions supposed to be similar to those recommended by 
Dr. Bastian. The flasks had been boiled and closed hermeti- 
cally according to Dr, Bastian’s method. Finding on careful 
microscopical examination that the contents of the flasks con- 
tained no living organisms, I charged calcined tubes with the 
liquids, sealed them hermetically, and forwarded them to Dr. 
Bastian. When I next saw him he pointed out that two of the 
three liquids used were not those which he had recommended, 
that if the infusions had been properly prepared, there would not 
have been any necessity for keeping them many months before 
examination, that his results with organic infusions were ob- 
tained after a few days, and that they were generally of a most 
unmistakeable nature. To satisfy my doubts on the subject 
he most kindly offered to repeat his experiments relating to the 
production of living organisms in infusions of hay and turnip 
in my presence. To this proposal (although I have hitherto 
taken no part in the controversy relating to spontaneous genera- 
tion, and do not intend to take any) I gladly acceded, at the 
same time engaging to publish the results without delay. 
Fifteen experiments were made, They were in three series, 
the dates of which were respectively, Dec. 14, Dec. 20, and 
Dec. 27. 
First SEr1es—(Dec. 14th.) 
Two infusions were employed, an infusion of turnip, in 
making which both the rind and the central part were used, and 
.an infusion of hay. Both had been prepared the same day a 
short time before they were used: 
The turnip infusion, of which the specific gravity was 1012, 
and the reaction distinctly acid, was divided into two parts, of 
which one was neutralised with liquor potassz. Four retorts, 
each capable of holding, when half full, a little over an ounce 
of liquid, having been prepared, two were charged with neutral 
infusion, the other two with unneutralised infusion, A small 
quantity of pounded cheese was then added to one of each pair. 
A fifth retort was charged with unneutralised infusion diluted 
with its bulk of water. As soon as each retort was charged, the 
NATURE 
open end of its beak was heated in the blowpipe flame and 
drawn out, The drawn-out part was then severed, and the re- 
tort boiled over a Bunsen’s burner, after which it was kept in a 
state of active ebullition for five minutes. During the boiling, 
some of the liquid was frequently ejected’ from the almost capil- 
lary orifice of the retort. At the end oftthe period named it was 
closed by the blowpipe flame, care being taken to continue the 
ebullition to the last. The success of the operation was ascer- 
tained ineach instance by observing that, by wetting the upper 
part of the retort, the ebullition was renewed. 
Three similar retorts were charged with the hay infusion, the 
specific gravity of which was 1005, and the reaction neutral. Of 
these, one contained the infusion diluted with its bulk of distilled 
water, the others being charged with infusion to which no addition 
had been made. These three retorts wereclosed, after boiling, in ex- 
actly the same way as those containing turnip infusion. The 
eight retorts were placed, immediately after their preparation, 
in a water-bath, which was kept at a temperature of about 
30° C. 
We met to examine the flasks on December 17, just three 
days after their preparation, Dr. Bastian having previously ex- 
pressed his anticipation that the infusions of turnip with cheese, 
whether neutralised or not, would be found by that time to con- 
tain multitudes of Bacteria, and that the other two undiluted 
turnip infusions would exhibit obvious changes. In the hay 
infusions, he expected that the process would not advance so 
rapidly ; the diluted infusions, he thought, would remain perma- 
nently unaltered. The results in each case were as follows :— 
(a.) Neutral turnip infusion with cheese.—On the 16th I ob- 
served that the liquid had become turbid ; on the 17th the tur- 
bidity was very obvious. Before opening the retort it was ascer- 
tained that when the blow-pipe flame was directed against the 
tube the heated part was drawn inwards, and further, that when 
the retort was inclined with its bulb upwards, so as to allow the 
liquid to rush against the closed end, a characteristic water 
hammer sound was produced, On breaking the point, air 
rushed in with a tolerably loud sound ; the liquid was crowded 
with moderately sized Bacteria, which exhibited active progres- 
sive movements. ‘There were also Leptothrix filaments. 
(6.) Unneutralised turnip infusion with cheese—On the 17th, 
the retort having been tested in the same way as before with 
similar results, was opened. It contained no living forms. 
(c.) Neutral turnip infusion without cheese.—On the 17th this 
liquid exhibited no marked change. It was finally examined on 
the 31st, and found to be still unaltered. 
(d.) Unneutralised turnip infusion without cheese—Up to 
December 31 no change had taken place in this infusion. 
(e.) Undiluted hay infusion.—The infusion was slightly turbid 
on the 17th; onthe 2oth the turbidity was more marked, and 
before the flask was opened, the water-hammer sound and other 
evidence showed that it was entire. The liquid was found to be 
full of minute but very active Bacteria, and contained numerous 
colonies of spheroids undergoing transformation into Bacteria. 
There were also Leptothrix filaments. 
(7-) Zhe same,—This infusion was examined on the same day. 
It had become turbid at about the same time as the last infusion, 
though to a less extent. It was distinctly acid. A drop of this 
fluid contained few Bacteria as compared with e, 
(g.) Diluted hay infusion,—On the 20th it was discovered that 
the retort was accidentally cracked. The liquid was swarming 
with Bacteria, and possessed an offensive smell. On account of 
the crack, Dr. Bastian regarded the experiment as futile. 
(1.) Diluted turnip infusion.—This liquid remained un- 
changed, 
Seconp SERIES—(Dec. 20th.) 
The purpose of this series was to ascertain whether the 
| irregularities of the results with the turnip infusions in the first 
