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328 



T/f£ BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



this characteristic feature of muscardine, another very 

 significant peculiarity invariably showed itself, I. e. a 

 well-marked acidity of the blood, instead of the neutral 

 condition which is invariably met with in the healthy 

 worm or moth 1. 



The fungus, continuing to grow through the tissues 

 of the animal in all directions, soon causes its death • 

 and, after twenty-four hours or less, it may make its 

 appearance externally through the thinnest portion of 

 the dorsal integument, and through the respiratory 

 spiracles, in the form of delicate snow-white tufts of 

 fungus-mycelium. These continue to grow rapidly, and 

 soon produce multitudes of minute spores, by means of 



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always be developed in dead animals. According to Robin, this was 



shown by M. Johannys in 1839 >' for, as he says, ' il a pu faire developper 



ce vegetal sur des Vers k soie morts, places dans des conditions favorables 



k la fermentation et hors de toute communication avec des lieux infectes de 



Muscardine. La moisissure se ddvelcppe aussi bien sur I'animal mort 



que sur les animaux inocul(5s de leur vivant, et le v<^g(5tal obtenu par 



inoculation est identique avec celui, que se ddveloppe sans cause 



directement connue.' Whilst, according to evidence given by M. 



Gu^rin-Mdneville in 185 1, 'k muscardine sporadique est une ter- 



minaison naturelle de I'existence du ver a soie, maladie qu'il est 



impossible de prevenir d'une maniere absolue.' (Loc. cit., pp. 574 

 and 603.) 



» From the evidence now in our possession, it is not perhaps possible 

 to say whether the acidity precedes the appearance of germs, or vice 

 - ' ^ We do know, however, from the experiments of Dutrochet, that 

 a mixture of egg-albumen and water will remain unchanged for months, 

 but will always develop fungi within a few days after it has been slightly 

 acidified. ('Ann. des Sc. Nat.,' 1834 (Botan.), p. 34.) Again, milk 

 always assumes an acid reaction before its globules begin to undergo 

 transformation into Penicillium-germs. 



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