1878.] 103 (Parker, 
peared in them ; when, however, hay was used in making the in- 
fusions, they were almost invariably found, both at the time of sealing 
and afterwards upon opening the flasks. These facts lead to the con- 
clusion that no life was in any case developed after the flasks were 
sealed, but that in all instances the organisms present had their origin 
in atmospheric germs. Urine and milk sealed without a long ex- 
posure to the air showed no organisms, either when the flasks were 
sealed, or afterwards when they were opened. Infusions of turnips 
(the turnips being peeled and washed before infusion, so as to remove 
from them any germs previously derived from the air) were also free 
from organisms. But, when hay or clover was used, organisms were 
always present. This may be attributed to the fact that their stems 
could not be freed from germs previously lodged upon them from the 
air. When the infusion was made by steeping for several hours in 
warm water these organisms multiplied greatly, and passing freely 
through the filtering paper, were present in multitudes in the in- 
fusion when sealed, and being killed in the boiling process were 
found dead when the flasks were opened. On the other hand, when 
infusions were made by boiling, the few germs present upon the hay 
had no opportunity to multiply, and only a few were present in the in- 
fusions before sealing, and were found dead (killed by heat) when the 
flasks were opened. I am sure that the mere finding of dead bac- 
teria or their allies in deposits, is no evidence that they had origin in 
the infusions, or that the infusions underwent any changes. In proof . 
that no change occurs either in the infusions, or in any of the germs 
and organisms that exist in the infusions before heating, take for ex- 
ample three of the several series of flasks examined. It has been 
stated that on June 29th, seventeen flasks were prepared, viz., ten of 
hay with an addition of cheese, and seven of hay only. None of the 
former were examined earlier than the forty-second day, and one 
hundred and eight days were suffered to elapse before the last flask 
was opened. Byacomparison of the records, we find that the first 
record mentions organisms as abounding, and described to be of the 
necklace type and a drawing of them was made, showing the number 
of beads or joints of the largest. In the subsequent examination of 
these ten flasks, these necklace bodies were always found, and in 
about the same numbers. ‘The other infusions of hay without any- 
thing added, were opened from the fourteenth to the one hundred 
and fiftieth day. The organisms in these were in every instance de- 
scribed as jointed bacteria, to the almost utter exclusion of all other 
