The Pr^esident's Address. Bij the Rev. W. H. Bollinger. 199 



story. The accident happened, destroying the use of the instrument, 

 and causing the whole to collapse. 



I preserved the sediment of my vessels, and have, as I have said, 

 hegun the work again, and with precautions and suggestions begotten of 

 experience, that I can only hope may not make that experience after all 

 dearly bought. 



But it is a matter of interest to know, that although I did not 

 succeed in raising the temperature in these forms to anything like the 

 elevations that the algse and other low forms have been found in nature 

 to flourish in, yet there seems to be indicated in these observations, 

 imperfect as they are, that there is at certain points in the endurance of 

 cumulative thermal elevations, a distinct physiological change brought 

 about with greater or less difficulty, which seems to be directly correlated 

 to the power of adaptation to a given measure of heat increment. It is 

 not a quiet rhythmic progression. There are points of greater and of 

 less difficulty. 



How far these may be capable of association with certain chemical 

 and physical, or even physiological conditions I do not pretend to say, 

 nor do I wish to draw any general inference as to even this group of 

 organisms. My observations were only on these three special forms. 

 But the fact is suggestive, and it is the more so when taken in relation 

 with an additional fact. 



These organisms and their congeners generally, of the septic group, 

 flourish at 65°, and are killed at 140° Fahr. 



But if the adapted organisms at 158° F. were taken from that 

 temperature and placed in an eminently nutritious and suitable nutritive 

 fluid at 60° they died. "While, of course, if forms of the same kind 

 exactly, living and flourishing at 60°, were placed in a nutritive 

 sterilized fluid at even 150° they were finally destroyed. 



I can only claim for this fragment its suggestiveness, and its possible 

 value as an incentive to others to treat the lower and minuter forms of 

 life in corresponding manners, and as showing that such work cannot be 

 without value. 



