1872.] Dr. F. C race- Calvert on Putrefaction. 



185 



February 29, 1872. 

 FRANCIS G ALTON, M.A., Vice-President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 



t "On Putrefaction." By Dr. F. Crace-Calvert, F.R.S. 

 Received February 22 ; 187:2. 



(Abstract.) 



This paper is intimately connected with those I have already published 

 on protoplasmic life and the influence it exerts on putrefaction. 



I have already shown that when albumen from a new-laid egg is intro- 

 duced into pure distilled water and communication with the atmosphere 

 prevented, protoplasmic life does not appear. If the same solution, however, 

 be exposed to the atmosphere for from fifteen to forty-five minutes, minute 

 globular bodies appear having an independent motion, which I denominate 

 monads. The time required varies according to the time of the year, the 

 amount of moisture present in the atmosphere, and the temperature. 



Although M. Pasteur has already noticed the meteorological conditions 

 which influence that life, he has not noticed the extraordinary rapidity 

 with which the fluids are impregnated, and that this impregnation is pro- 

 portional to the surface exposed. 



On the 18th of May, 18/1, two portions of albumen, measuring 400 

 grains, were placed, the one in a test-tube having a diameter of |- inch, 

 the other in a test-glass which at the surface of the liquid had a diameter 

 of 2 inches. In the tube vibrios appeared after twelve days, whilst in the 

 glass only five days were required for their development. If in place of 

 pure distilled water the water supplied by the Manchester Corporation 

 (which is one of the purest waters in England) was used, the time required 

 for the development of vibrios in a test-tube was only twenty-four hours. 



These experiments prove that the rate of development of vibrio-life is in- 

 fluenced by the extent of surface exposed. 



M. Pasteur has already demonstrated that oxygen is essential to the life 

 of the Mucedines, but I am not aware that it has been proved that this gas 

 is necessary to the existence of vibrio-life. 



In the hope of throwing some light on this subject, the following expe- 

 riments were made : — 



Into each of five glass bulbs equal volumes of a solution of albumen in 

 Manchester water were placed, and the first left in contact with the atmo- 

 sphere for twenty-four hours, after which the ends of the tube were herme- 

 tically sealed about 2 inches on each side of the bulb. After passing 

 oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbonic acid over the other four solu- 

 tions, the tubes were also hermetically sealed. These tubes were kept 



p 2 



