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Ti^^ BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



355 



is different. ' Tliese/ he says, «■ are uniformly sterile ; 

 and the sterility is to be accounted for by the fact that 

 all the lower organisms and their germs are destroyed 

 in an acid fluid raised to the boiling point/ 



The latter statement seems to be quite true; the 

 former, however, is one which has been negatived by 

 the experience of others, and which now may be shown 

 to be altogether erroneous. Alterations in the nature 



4 



of the fluid employed, or in the method of experimenta- 

 tion — either singly or in combination — easily show the 

 untenability of M. Pasteur's conclusion with respect to 

 the sterility of acid fluids. 



A — Experiments in which the fluids were raised to 



r 



a temperature of 2i2°F for from lo to 20 minutes, 

 and in which the flasks were hermetically sealed whilst 



the fluids were still boiling. 



Series 



a. 



■Fluids employed being filtered inft 



organic matter in solution and having an acid reaction. 



'Experiment i. A closed flask containing a very strong 

 infusion of hay (boiled for five minutes), to which had 

 been added aV^ part of carbolic acid, was opened twelve 

 days after it had been hermetically sealed. 



Tlie solution remained quite clear for the first four 

 days, but on the fifth day a small quantity of a 

 powdery sediment was observed, and also one small, 

 grey, flake-like mass. On the seventh day more minute 



A a 2 



