HEAT UPON LIVING MATTER. 149 
4 
the broad-bean, barley, kidney-bean, maize, vetch, 
spinach, beetroot, turnip, and mallow—were exposed 
to the influence of heat whilst packed in dry sand. 
Although this method is less exact and trustworthy, 
and is one with which we are not now concerned, 
still it may be stated that only four of the numerous 
seeds with which experiment was made after this 
fashion survived their brief exposure in the dry state 
to the temperature of 212°: all the others failed to 
germinate. 
The Abbé’s researches, therefore, taught him three 
things: (1), that eggs can endure a decidedly higher 
degree of heat than that proving fatal to animals of 
the kind from which they have been derived; (2), 
that an analogous difference exists between seeds 
and plants in respect to their capacity of withstand- 
ing the action of heat; and (3), that seeds and plants 
can resist higher grades of heat than eggs and 
animals respectively. 
After calling attention to these conclusions, Spal- 
lanzani said,* “Je suis sans-doute bien dloigné de 
prétendre expliquer ces résultats ; je sens la difficulté 
de l’entreprise, de sorte que j‘hazarderai tout au plus 
quelques conjectures, en les donnant pour ce qu’ elles 
valent, et en laissant 4 chacun la liberté de penser 
ce quil voudra.” As his conjectures, however, cannot 
* Loc. cit., p. 64. 
