- Parker.) 102 [November 6, 
The turnip and cheese infusion was opened on the fiftieth day, in 
which nothing organic wasseen. ‘The hay and cheese infusions were 
examined on the twenty-first, sixtieth and sixty-second days, with 
the same results. 
The statement having been made that life is more surely developed 
in fluids enclosed in vacuo, I decided to prepare a number of flasks to 
determine whether different results would be obtained by this means. 
The plan adopted to secure a vacuum being somewhat novel, it may 
be well to describe the process. Distilling flasks of about four 
ounces capacity were used. A rubber tube about six inches long was 
forced over the arm; the flasks were then half filled with the fluids; 
the corks were pressed into their necks, and a piece of sheet rubber 
was placed over each cork and securely wrapped around the neck of 
the flask. They were then placed upon a retort stand and brisk 
boiling kept up for fifteen minutes, and, while the steam with jets of 
the infusions were pouring out of the rubber tubing, a pair of clamps 
with a strong spring was applied to the tubing. The lamp being im- 
mediately removed and condensation taking place, the tubing became 
flattened as a ribbon, and so remained until the flasks were opened. 
The vacuum obtained by this process was so complete that in some 
instances, flasks that were unusually thin, were shattered in pieces by 
the outside pressure of the air. Although a number of flasks were 
prepared in this manner containing various infusions, and afterwards 
surrounded with the most favorable conditions, the results were 
identical in every particular with those obtained with flasks contain- 
ing air. 
Having completed my experiments, I turned to the first record of 
the examination of the infusions made at the time they were sealed. 
It is a remarkable fact that in every instance the record of the con- 
dition of the infusion in each flask at the time it was sealed, agreed 
perfectly with the record of the same made when the flasks were 
opened. Inno instance did the examination made when the flasks 
were opened, show organisms when none were present at the first 
examination. When the presence of organisms was recorded in the 
first examination, the second record showed the same organisms, and 
in the same condition, without having undergone any change what- 
ever; in no instance was a different organism present. The first ex- 
aminations of urine, milk and turnip infusions, showed that they were 
free from bacteria, vibriones, and their allies, and, regardless of the 
length of time the flasks remained closed, those organisms never ap- 
