Sterile if a certain quantity 
1876. ] Spontaneous Generation. : 783 
slightly alkaline solutions, doubtless because under such conditions 
their envelopes are not penetrated by the water, and that they 
are so if the medium in which they are heated is slightly acid. 
In reference to this I will recall that the workmen of Rouen, as 
M. Pouchet informed us, noticed that certain seeds attached to 
wool coming from Brazil germinated after four hours’ exposure 
to boiling water, and M. Pouchet proved that when the germi- 
nation occurred after such treatment the grains had preserved 
their natural size, their hard, horny eùvelope not having been 
penetrated by water or steam ; when the contrary was the case, 
germination was impossible. With regard to germs disseminated 
in atmospheric dust, I proved that they perished in an acid me- 
dium at 100° C., but they remain fertile if the medium is alka- 
line. (See page 65 of my paper.) 
“Tf Dr. Bastian wishes to assure himself of his errors of inter- 
pretation, he can easily do it. He obtains bacteria by saturating 
boiled urine with potash. I simply suggest that instead of em- 
ploying an aqueous solution of potash, he should drop into the 
urine solid potash after making it red-hot, or even only to 110° C. 
His experiment will then never succeed ; that is, he will obtain 
no formation of bacteria in urine exposed to 30°, 40°, or 50° C. 
The conclusion he has drawn from our common experiments 15 
thus inadmissible, for it would be absurd to pretend that the 
primum movens of life is in melted caustic potash. Such is the 
way of obtaining a decisive result. In one word, I only ask Dr. 
Bastian to eliminate the bacteria germs which were contained in 
the aqueous solution of potash he employs. If Dr. Bastian finds 
it difficult from the apparatus he uses, and does not describe, to 
bring the potash to a red heat previous to cooling it and drop- 
ping it as a solid into the urine, let him, instead of heating 1t to 
100° C., heat it to 110° C., and he will then find sterility if he 
Operates with vigorous accuracy. If he still preserves jars doubts, 
let him suppress the preliminary condition of causing the sane 
to boil; for it is a remarkable fact that urine in its absolutely 
normal state as it leaves the bladder of a healthy man remains 
of potash is dropped into it, with the 
d in chapter jii. of my recent work 
atmospheric germs. Dr. aso 
possible. I entertain the firm hope that he w mes 
i tinncts generation and in the proofs he supposes ° 
uced.’ ? 
precautions I have describe 
on beer, to avoid contact with 
