Parker.] 96 {November 6, 
EXPERIMENTS ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. By A. T. 
ParkKER, OF LExineTon, Ky. 
For several years past I have made many experiments with a view 
to determine the possibility of Archebiosis or spontaneous generation. 
My earlier experiments produced such varying results that, until 
within the past year, my mind remained in uncertainty. In these 
earlier experiments I overlooked what I now consider important ele- 
ments most essential to the solution of the problem. A brief sketch 
of these tentative essays will be necessary in order to a proper ap- 
preciation of the conclusive experiments of the last year. 
In all my experiments, glass flasks were used containing infusions 
of various substances carefully sealed. In most instances, the usual 
method of experimenters was adopted, the substances employed being 
cut into small pieces and macerated in warm water for several hours, 
when the infusions, after filtering, were poured into glass flasks, in 
which they were boiled by the heat of a-spirit lamp, and, while boil- 
ing, the flasks were sealed by means of a blow-pipe. The infusions 
used were such as are admitted to be most conducive to the origin 
and development of the germs of primordial life. It is unnecessary 
to detail the many experiments of the first three years. In these 
earlier and unsatisfactory experiments, | found in almost all the in- 
fusions living or dead organisms. Some flasks contained only inor- 
ganic matter. In other flasks were fully developed living active 
bacteria and vibriones. In other flasks, dead bacteria were found in 
great numbers, while, in others still, were found both living and dead 
organisms. ‘These very dissimilar results were often obtained from 
the same series of flasks, containing the same infusions, prepared at 
the same time, and surrounded seemingly by the same conditions. 
Such varying phenomena were very perplexing. Whence the living 
bacteria ? Had they survived the heating of the infusion ? or, 
were they developed in the flask after it was sealed ? Whence the 
dead organisms ? Were they developed in the infusion after it was 
sealed up in the flask, and did they afterwards die ? Or were they 
already developed in the infusion when placed in the flask, and de- 
stroyed by the heat to which the infusion was then subjected ? 
Again, whence the living and dead bacteria contained in the same 
flask ? 
I instituted a new series of experiments to determine these ques- 
tions. I first subjected infusions prepared as before to microscopic 
examination before boiling and again after boiling. I found in every 
