53 



and yet in no c:i?e was there observed any tliiekeiiiivj; siieli as M. Pasteur lias 

 fissured in figs. 20 an I 21 lEn^j,!. Ed I in tlie case of Aspergillns glaucns and 

 Mucor raeemostis, and in Plate VI. and fig. 24. of Mucor rnucedo.'"' The myce- 

 lium remained of the same form throughout the series of observations uiade at 

 the brewery and only changed in appearance from the pre.sence of uiiiinte granu- 

 lations, probably some form of foreign orgiUiism \vhi;_'li found a resting place 

 within the fibres. Mr. Korschelt has referred to this appearance, as well as to 

 the more frequent crossings in the myceliuui, as one of the reasons lor supposing 

 that the ferment cells observed are actually ditTerent foruis of the original 

 mycelium. I have not been able to satisfy myself that the crossings of the 

 myeelimn are more frequent after the plant has been submerged for some tiu)e 

 than at first, but even if it were so, it does not eoiim that it would necessarily 

 have any liearing upon the question. Noriim I able to agree with Mr. Korschelt 

 when he says that there is a maikeil difference in the abundance of the mycelium 

 at the beginning and the end. The point upon which most stress is laid is the 

 suddenness of the fermentation, and that it does a]ipear suddenly is a matter 

 about which no one can have any doubt; bnt is there not a very simple explaiia- 

 tion of it apart from the transformation of the mycelium into ferment cells. ^ 

 The fermentation appears immeiliately after the warming of the mash, which has 

 already been exposed to the air in shallow vessels for several days before being 

 givtliered into a single ve.ssel. It is also al'.oweil to remain in the tub for several 

 liom-s bef(U'e lieating, during which time we may suppose that a large part of 

 the dissolved oxygen lias been absorbeil by the ferment. By heating the tem- 

 jierature is raised to about 25°C. and that we know is very fav<uuable for the 

 growth of yeast. Knowing how rapidly the yea^t plant buds un hr the condi- 

 tions, it does not appear to be iieces.^ary to invoice the transformation of the 

 mycelium into ferment cells in order to account for the sudden appearance ol' 

 the fermentation, fuid to my mind the simple ami natural ex]ilanati<in is that 

 the fermentation is spiintanccms. that tli(\gcrms arc I'diind cilhcron tbekoji used, 

 or attached to the vessels in which the ojicrations are performeil. Mi\ Kius'luii 

 luis referred to the fact that on one occasion, before the I'ermentatiun had pinpcrly 

 develo|)ed itself, I observed f^ouic completely cylindrical cells. I'nfortnnadly I 

 ilicl not take sketchcs of the.se cells at the time, bnl it is prob ible that they wercf 

 some S|K'ci<'s of mycodcrma, introduced accidi-ntally. i have repeatedly digest<'d 

 koji with walir without olisciving any change in the appearance of the mycelium. 

 The successive changes usu.iliy seen are represented witli suHicient cle.irness in the 

 lliree figures on plates XIII and XIV. A «inantity ff koji was placed in a lia>k with 

 some water, the llask corked and provided with a deli\(ry tube leading into 

 water, and then left near a stove. Afrer two days a drop witiidr.iwn and exaniineii 

 under the miero.=cope appeared as sliow u in IIh- li!.--! ligiiic I'l. .Xlil. enlarged 



• I Imvr |;rowii tlifi " tnne " (Hpori'H) in Ixvled iiiiill »oil, uiiil iIioiik'i ''>'' iiiyt'oliiiDi pro hici'il 

 wiiM l;c|it yiiliincTgiMl, no cliuiigi- in il» forni ix'Hiilli'il, nor (li<l any in^ll» of itlcoliul iVrnu-iil inukir 

 thi'ir uiiiHiuimicL'. 



