Spontaneous Generation. 253 
for the researches would be a hindrance to the progress of science if taken 
seriously, 
Dumas took upon himself the refutation of Mr. Despretz, and brought 
to the subject his well known ability. He prefaced his remarks by pre- 
senting the following table which exhibits an interesting relation between 
the equivalents of certain simple and compound bodies 
F119 Cl 855 Brso I 127 ) 4. 
N14 Ph3l  As% Sb 122 t Ditterence 5, 
Mg 1225 Ca20 Sr4375 Ba685 Pb 1085) ,. 
O 8 S$ 16 Ses975 Te6ss Os 995 | Difference rs 
Ammonium 18‘ Methylamine 32 Ethylamine 46 Propylamine 60, ete. i Dif. 3 
Methylium 15  Ethylium 29 Propylium 43 Butylium 57, ete. ‘ 
As this relation suggests a doubt as to the elements being simple, 
Dumas occasion to express his opinion on this important question. 
he three kingdoms offer for our study, 
reduced by analysis to a certain number of radicals which may be 
Stouped in natural families, (2.) The characters of these families show 
eontestible analogies. (3.) But the radicals of mineral chemistry 
decomposition, and if ever to be realized, it will be by methods or forces 
yet unsuspected, 
. Spontaneous generation.—Mr. Pouchet, Professor of Zoology at Rouen, 
8a decided believer in spontaneous generation, and has undertaken to 
ave this theory which has been overturned by the experiments of 
Schultze and Schwann, as well also by those of Messrs. Schroeder and 
either by filtration or calcination and there is no fermentation or 
Putrefaction, 
wage mechanical theory of Liebig, which has at least as much proba- 
A 2 its favor as the physiological just mentioned, opens a way of 
er independent both of this and spontaneous generation. 
Work of Mr, Pouchet was some time since announced, and the 
seogue8s of the naturalist of Rouen ed. It was stated that 
— carne Vos, XXVII, No. 80,—MARCH, 1869. 
