FUETHER EESEAECHES ON THE DEPORT- 

 MENT AND YITALITY OF PUTREFACTIVE 

 ORGANISMS.' 



III. 



§ 1. Introduction. 



On the IStli of January, 1876, I had the honour of 

 submitting to the Eoyal Society some account of an 

 investigation in which the power of atmospheric air 

 to produce life in organic infusions and its power to 

 scatter light were shown to go hand in hand. The 

 ' scattering ' was proved to be due, not to the air itself, 

 but to foreign matter suspended in the air. It was 

 moreover proved that air placed under proper conditions 

 went through a process of self-purification, and that, 

 when this purification was visibly complete, the power 

 to scatter light and to generate life disappeared to- 

 gether. 



The form of the experiments here referred to was, 

 it will be remembered, as follows : — Wooden chambers 

 were constructed with glass fronts, side windows, and 

 back doors. Through the bottoms of the chambers 

 test-tubes passed air-tight, their open ends, for about 

 one-fifth of the length of the tubes, being within the 

 chambers. Provision was made for a connexion through 

 sinuous channels between the outer and the inner air. 

 ' Philosophical Transactions, Part I., 1877. 



