HEAT UPON LIVING MATTER. 175 
After this I may perhaps be deemed fully justified 
in quoting two very typical experiments for the 
further consideration of those who stave off their 
belief in the occurrence of ‘spontaneous generation 
—either by relying upon insufficient reasons for 
doubting the influence of boiling water, or because 
of their following Pasteur, Cohn, and others, in 
supposing that certain peculiar Bacteria germs are 
not killed except by a brief exposure to a heat of 
227° or 230° F. For even if we could grant them 
these limits, of what avail would the concession be 
towards averting the dreaded admission of the oc- 
currence of ‘spontaneous generation,’ in the face of 
the following experiments, and others of a similar 
nature ?. 
Experiment I.—A strong infusion of turnip was 
rendered faintly alkaline by liquor potasse, and to 
this a few separate muscular fibres of a cod-fish were 
added. Some of this mixture was introduced into a 
flask of nearly two ounces capacity. Its neck was 
drawn out and afterwards hermetically sealed by 
the blow-pipe flame, whilst the fluid within was 
boiling. When thus closed the flask was about half 
full of fluid. It was then introduced into a digester 
which was gradually heated, and afterwards kept at 
a temperature of 270-275° F,, for twenty minutes, 
though it seems also well to point out that if we 
