1878.] 99 [Parker. 
which the infusion was susceptible, that organism was found dead, and 
no other organisms were found, and no development of any spores or 
germs which it may have contained at the time of its inclosure, it 
might then, under these circumstances, be concluded that through the 
agency of heat all the organisms in the fluid had been destroyed, and 
the fluid itself rendered incapable of developing or maintaining life. 
It is well-known that all animal and vegetable substances that have 
been long exposed to the atmosphere become the habitat of various 
germs that float in the air, and that these germs under favorable condi- 
tions in an incredibly short time begin to reproduce themselves by mil- 
lions. It is not so generally known that many of these germs are so 
small as to pass with little seeming hindrance through the finest filter- 
ing paper. For example, a handful of green white clover was cut in 
the month of July —a fragment of cheese was added and the whule 
covered with warm water. At the end of two and a half hours, a 
drop showed a large number of vibriones and jointed bacteria of 
small size, and in six hours after its preparation, a drop was swarm- 
ing with millions of these organisms. This infusion was passed 
through fine filtering paper four times, the filtering medium seeming 
to offer little or no resistance to their passage. A drop from the 
filter showed myriads of them, very active and their numbers scarcely 
diminished. 
In detailing the following experiments it may be necessary to 
state that cognizance was taken only of the most prominent forms 
present in the infusion, it being understood that in almost all in- 
fusions some particular organism largely predominates. 
The first experiment consisted of nine flasks, closed January 18th, 
of the following infusions, — one of simple milk, four of hay, three of 
turnip with a small addition of cheese, and one of turnip and milk. 
They were all heated to 100° Cent. (212° F.) for thirty minutes. 
The flask containing milk was opened on the ninth day after sealing. 
Neither bacteria, vibriones, nor torula could be found, but large num- 
bers of milk globules filled every field of view. The hay infusions 
were opened and examined on the twelfth, sixteenth, and nineteenth 
days after sealing. A very few bacteria — all dead — were found in 
the deposits. The flasks containing turnip and cheese, and the one 
turnip and milk, were opened on the seventeenth day, and found to 
contain milk globules only. The second lot of flasks consisted: four 
of parsnip with a small addition of sodic phosphate, three of urine 
with liquor potass. added, two of the juice of beef, and two of urine 
