NATURE 
59 

In the discussion which followed the ‘reading of Dr. Calvert’s 
papers Dr. Charlton Bastian remarked upon the number of as- 
umptions which were introduced, and gave reasons for his 
pinion that the experiments were wholly inconclusive in their 
ature. He was not aware that Prof. Tyndall had ever revealed 
“abundance of germ life” in the air, whilst M. Pasteur had 
istinctly stated that he had been unable to recognise Bacteria 
wr their germs in the dust filtered from the atmosphere. Even 
Bacteria were widely diffused in the air, it would still have to 
be shown that they were alive. From the fact that some 
‘eminently inoculable fluids might be pretty freely exposed to the 
air for two or three weeks without showing the least signs of tur- 
icity though they could always be rendered turbid in two or 
ree days after bringing them into contact with actual living 
acteria—he thought there was reason to believe that Zwzug 
Bacteria were by no means abundant in the air. And as he had 
found that all other naked lower forms of life with which he had 
‘experimented were unable to survive the effects of even short 
periods of desiccation, he thought there was much reason for the 
belief that the same rule would hold good for Bacteria. Dr. 
‘Bastian failed to find in Dr. Calvert’s papers sufficient 
eyidence that the organisms found in some of the solutions 
were really alive, and with regard to those experiments in which 
ete substances had been employed, it was assuming the 
very point at issue to suppose that the more numerous organisms 
which were present in them could only have come from the 
atmosphere. With regard to the influence of heat upon the life 
‘of Bacteriaand many other organisms, Dr. Bastian gave some 
‘particulars concerning experiments, which tended to show, 
as he thought, conclusively, that they were all killed by an expo- 
sure in fluids, for ten minutes, to a heat of 60° C. (140° F.) 
here was no difficulty in ascertaining when Amcelze or Ciliated 
nfusoria were killed, though with respect to Bacteria there was 
much more difficulty. Where the movements were not of an 
‘active character, after the Bacteria had been subjected to different 
egrees of heat, no reliable opinion as to their life or death could 
be arrived at. Bacteria which were really living might in many 
cases exhibit movements differing in no respect from those which 
dead Bacteria would display. From the exhibition of such move- 
‘ments, therefore, it could not be positively affirmed that the 
“organisms were living, or that they were dead. The case was 
different, however, with regard to reproduction—dead organisms 
could not multiply. Having found a fluid, therefore, which was 
most suitable for the nourishment of Bacteria, but which 
seemed to be wholly incapable of giving origin to them 
de novo, he inoculated portions of it with living Bacteria, and 
then found that those fluids which had been heated to 50° C. or 
55° C. for ten minutes became quite turbid in two or three days, 
whilst others, heated for the same time to 60°, 65°, 70°, 75° C. 
and upwards, invariably remained clear and showed no signs of 
‘turbidity. As living Bacteria will always multiply under suitable 
conditions in suitable fluids, their failure to multiply was the best 
evidence that they had been killed. The conclusion that Bac- 
teria were killed by exposure in fluids to a heat of 60° C. was one 
which had been previously arrived at by Prof. Wyman and M. 
Pouchet, though such a conclusion was now much strengthened 
‘by Dr. Bastian’s recent experiments. These results were 
harmonious also with the fact that Amoebee, Ciliated Infusoria, 
and almost all the other lower organisms with which experi- 
ments had been made, were also killed by even a shorter expo- 
sure to a temperature of 60° C. (140° F.) 

Geologists’ Association, May 5.—Rev. T. Wiltshire, presi- 
dent, in the chair.—‘‘On the Fauna of the Carboniferous 
Epoch,” by Henry Woodward. In this paper the author protested 
against that mode of thought which seemed to imply that the 
globe was, during the various geologic periods, a vast aquarium, 
and urged the similarity of the conditions which now prevail with 
those that were obtained during the deposition of the various 
systems of the stratified rocks. Mr. Woodward combated the 
opinion of many, that during the Carboniferous period the atmo- 
sphere was heavily charged with carbonic acid gas, which, while 
it supplied the profuse vegetation of that epoch with carbon, 
prevented the radiation of heat from the earth, and thus produced 
an abnormal warmth which, with abundant moisture, was the 
cause of the vast growths that formed the beds of coal we now 
use for fuel. It was contended that the atmosphere under normal 
conditions was quite sufficient to supply all the carbonic acid 
that was required for the vegetation which composed all the beds 
in the world, and that, as we find the Gulf Stream exerting a 



great influence on the climate of England at the present time, 
so unusual warmth and humidity and great alterations of the 
isothermal lines of the globe, might have been produced by 
ocean currents consequent upon changes of coast-lines and other 
causes of which wecan know little. Theanimal life of the epoch was 
then described, and some valuable lists of species were appended 
to the paper. The Rev. Mr. Henslow, referring to Mr. Wood- 
ward’s remarks respecting the discovery by Prof. Morris of the 
‘*Mother coal” of Bradford being made up of spores and spore 
cases, stated that Prof. Huxley had concluded that coal generally 
was formed in this manner. Prof. Morris heartily approved of 
Mr. Woodward’s opinion in favour of the contemporaneity of 
formations usually considered to be of successive epochs, and 
pointed out the great differences in the thickness in the under- 
lying beds, and in other stratigraphical conditions of the Carboni- 
ferous limestone, millstone grit, and coal measures, in various 
districts. In Shropshire, for instance, the Carboniferous beds 
repose upon Silurian rocks, and in Scotland the coal seams are 
intercalated with the main limestone. Mr. Woodward, after passing 
a high eulogium on Prof. Morris, whose knowledge of the subject 
was most varied and extensive, briefly described several species 
of crustacea of which diagrams were exhibited, and directed the 
attention of the Association to a cast of the head of an unde- 
scribed species of Arthracosaurus allied to A. Russelli, recently 
obtained by Mr. George Maw, from the coal measures of Coal- 
brook Dale. 
. Paris 
Academy of Sciences, April 10.—M. Chasles read a very 
interesting paper on the properties belonging to a system of 
cones. Every one of these properties discovered by the law of 
analogy relates to a series of certain geometrical objects, com- 
pared with a series of other objects of the same nature, The 
demonstrations are not given except by the arrangement of the 
different propositions, which are sixty in number, and fill twelve 
closely printed pages of the Comptes Rendus.—Dr. Declat, who 
does not belong to the Academy, read a memoir on the effects of 
phenic acid. He attributes to this specific the power of curing 
the German cattle plague, or at least of preventing it. The 
experiments do not appear, however, very conclusive.—M. 
Aubert presented a memoir on the moral causes of the inferiority 
exhibited by French armies during the last campaigning. These 
causes are very numerous, and the principal of them is the making 
of the army an instrument for the protection of an internal des- 
potism. The discussion of these subjects was considered as 
being out of the limits and province of the Academy. The 
memoir in former years would have been rejected under the 
old rules, but the president, M. Delaunay, referred it to a 
special committee, composed of General Morin, director of the 
Conservatoire des Arts, and M. Amiral Paris. The Comptes 
Rendus for this sitting publishes a list of periodicals which were 
offered to the French Academy in the month of March. As 
many as fifteen publications were special periodicals, which re- 
sumed their publication during the few weeks of the cessation 
of fighting round Paris. The celebrated Abbé Moigno has lost 
no time in starting his Zes Mondes, as the whole set for March 
was presented to the Academy. ‘The foreign list was very short 
and incomplete, as Natur, which had been presented, was 
omitted. The only English paper mentioned was the Monthly 
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.—M. Barral, the 
editor of two agricultural papers which are mentioned in the 
aforesaid list—Aaudletin hebdomadaire du Journal d Agriculture 
and Fournal de ? Agriculture—having taken steps opposed to 
Communist rule, was obliged to leave Paris. His papers are 
now published at Versailles. M. Wolf, an Austrian subject, was 
present at the sitting. He is conducting observations at the 
National Observatory, where the instruments were not packed as 
on the occasion of the former shelling and investment. They 
run the risk of being smashed to pieces. 
April 17.—M. Payen read an important paper on Cellulose. 
It is known that stony fruits or stony parts of fleshy fruits, like 
cherries and peaches, are composed of cellulose, impregnated 
with incrusting materials. The digestion of this cellulose is 
rendered more easy and complete by giving to the animals some 
fatty matters. The same may be said of stems of vegetables 
and straw. The application of this theory to the breeding of 
cattle is obvious. M. Payen exhibited some reactions, which 
show theoretically that the results obtained in Germany by the 
analysis of evacuations are truthful and genuine, The paper 
