156 THE DESTRUCTIVE INFLUENCE OF 
himself, and ward off the conclusions of his opponent. 
He saw fully, and had frankly admitted,* that there 
was but one means of escaping from Needham’s con- 
clusions. But, were these means legitimate? 
(a2) Although it is doubtless true that the superior 
dryness of seeds does enable them to resist the in- 
fluence of heat longer than moist eggs are able to do, 
and therefore also enables them apparently to resist 
for a brief period a temperature notably higher than 
would have proved fatal to them had they been ina 
moist state—it is altogether another question when we 
have to decide whether the naturally moist Bacteria 
or their germs are really endowed with this seed-like 
property of developing after desiccation. To main- 
tain his Panspermism in the face of his own experi- 
ments, Spallanzani was compelled to assume that 
the germs of the lower Infusoria do possess this 
potentiality. Modern science, however, declares.that 
they have no such property. We are told most un- 
reservedly by Professor Burdon Sanderson,t not only 
that “the germinal particles of microzymes [Bacteria] 
are rendered inactive by thorough drying without 
the application of heat,” that is, by mere exposure 
to air for two or three days at a temperature of 
* See p. 142. 
+ ‘Thirteenth Report of the Medical Officer of the Privy Council,” 
p. 61. 
