Manchester Memoirs, Vol. lix. (191 5), No. 11. 31 



this liquid for a few minutes in order to kill the germs 

 which it contains, and whilst it is still boiling vie close the 

 opening of the flask by means of a stopper of wadding 

 which has previously been passed through a flame in order 

 to kill any germs which might adhere to the outside. 

 Then we allow the liquid to cool. The broth is preserved 

 indefinitely. 11 The stopper of wadding serves as a filter. 

 It allows free passage to the gases of the atmosphere but 

 excludes the dust. This experiment can be repeated, all 

 other conditions remaining the same, but a stopper of 

 wadding being used which has been freely exposed to the 

 air for some time and which in consequence is covered 

 with dust, not having been passed through the flame. In 

 this case the germs fall from the stopper into the broth 

 and microbes appear in it, which rapidly bring about the 

 decomposition. From these two experiments we can 

 conclude that microbes, like all other living things, are 

 produced from pre-existing germs, and that the germs 

 float about in the atmosphere. In real nature, therefore, 

 spontaneous generation does not exist. Such then, 

 summed up in a few words, is the important scientific 

 truth demonstrated by Pasteur, which constitutes the 

 corner-stone of his work. 



The historian who treats of the development of the 

 economic situation of France during the last forty years, 

 would produce only an incomplete work if he did not take 

 into account the influence of the great maker of history, 

 Pasteur. We would remind the historian and the econo- 

 mist that Thomas Huxley has expressed the opinion 

 that the work of Pasteur was sufficient to make up the war 

 indemnity of five milliards which France paid to Germany 



11 In the Botanic Gardens in Ghent we have kept a flask prepared in 

 this way by Dr. A. J. J. Vandevf.i.dic for more than eleven years. In 

 August, 1 914, the broth was still intact (fresh). 



