SOLID BODIES IN THE ATMOSPHERE. 269 



'' I found similar indications in a cow-honse with 

 healthy cows ; so I do not pretend to have distinguished 

 the poison of cattle-plague in these forms ; but it is clear 

 that where these exist there may be room for any ferment 

 or fomites of disease ; and I do not doubt that one class 

 is the poison itself in its earliest stage. It would be inter- 

 esting to develope it further. 



'' I have recorded elsewhere that I condensed the liquid 

 from the air of a flower-garden, and found in it, or ima- 

 gined I found, the smell of flowers. I do not remember 

 that I looked much to the solid or floating particles, think- 

 ing them to be blown from the ground ; but it does not 

 afffect the result, whether they be found constantly in the 

 air or are raised by the action of currents. 



Lately I tried the same plan on a larger scale. A bottle 

 was filled with air and shaken with water. The bottle 

 was again filled and shaken with the same water ; and this 

 was repeated 500 times, nearly equal to 2\ million cb.c, or 

 2495 litres'^. As this could not be done in a short time, 

 there was considerable variety of weather — but chiefly dry, 

 with a westerly wind. The operation was conducted behind 

 my laboratory, in the neighbourhood of places not very 

 clean, it is true, but from which the wind was blowing to 

 other- parts of the town. I did not observe any dust blow- 

 ing ; but if there were dust, it was such as we may be called 

 on to breathe. The liquid was clouded, and the unaided 

 eye could perceive that particles, very light, were floating. 

 When examined by a microscope, the scene was varied in 

 a very high degree ; there was evidently organic life. I 

 thought it better to carry the whole to Mr. Dancer and to 

 leave him to do the rest, as my knowledge of microscopic 

 forms is so trifling compared with his.^'' 



Addition, March 1870. 

 I certainly considered that I saw motion caused by 



* I think the total quantity is not correct ; but it is unimportant. 



