BACTERIA AND THEIR GERMS. 85 
encouraging the rapid multiplication of any of these 
organisms which were purposely added to it. Some 
of this boiled solution therefore was introduced into 
flasks previously washed with boiling water; and 
when the fluids had sufficiently cooled, that of each 
flask was inoculated with living Bacteria and 
Vibriones—in the proportion of one drop of a fluid 
quite turbid with these organisms to one fluid ounce 
of the clear saline solution.* These mixtures con- 
taining an abundance of living organisms were then 
heated to various temperatures, ranging from 122° F. 
(50°C.) to 167°F. (75°C.); and it was invariably 
found that those which had been heated to 122° or 
131°F, became quite turbid in about two days, whilst 
those which had been raised to 140° F., or upwards, as 
invariably remained clear and unaltered. The turbidity 
in the first series having been ascertained to be due to 
the enormous multiplication of Bacteria and Vibriones, 
and it being a well-established fact that such organ- 
isms when undoubtedly living always rapidly multiply 
in these fluids, the conclusion seemed almost inevit- 
able that the organisms and their germs must have 
been killed in the flasks which were briefly subjected 
to the temperature of 140°F. How else are we to 
* Fuller details concerning these experiments may be found in the 
little work already mentioned at pp. 51—56, and also in ‘‘ The Begin- 
nings of Life,” vol. i., pp. 325—332. 
