154 



Dr. H. C. Bastian on the 



[June 15, 



influence of heat and liquor potassse added afterwards, in the manner 

 already detailed *. 



It was further ascertained that the acidity of some specimens of urine 

 was lessened during the process of ebullition (owing to the deposition of 

 acid phosphates) ; and such urines boiled for six minutes were found to 

 ferment in a much shorter time than when they were only boiled for 

 three minutes. The prolongation to this extent of the germ-destroying 

 temperature actually hastened the subsequent process of fermentation. 



Interpretation of Results. 



The generally received belief that all Bacteria and their germs are 

 killed by exposing them even for a minute or two to the temperature of 

 212° ¥. (100° C.) has of late been strongly reinforced by Professor 

 Tyndall. The fact, therefore, of the fermentation of some specimens of 

 boiled acid urine, with the appearance of swarms of Bacteria, under the 

 influence of the high generating temperature of 122° P. (50° C), is 

 inexplicable except upon the supposition that fermentation has in these 

 instances been initiated without the aid of living germs, and that the 

 organisms first appearing in such fluids have been evolved therein. 



If the author's further position (Proceedings of Eoyal Society, Nos. 

 143 and 145, 1873), that Bacteria and their germs are killed in fluids 

 whether acid or alkaline at a temperature of 158° P. (70° C), is correct, 

 then the occurrence of fermentation in the previously neutralized boiled 

 urine would similarly disprove the exclusive germ-theory of fermentation 

 and establish the occurrence of Archebiosis. 



Any difficulty which might have been felt by others in accepting the 

 above interpretation of the results of these latter experiments — ^in face of 

 the view held by M. Pasteur that some Bacteria- geims are able in 

 neutral fluids to survive an exposure to a heat of 212° P. (100° C.) — has 

 been fairly met and nulhfied by the experiments (devised for the pur- 

 pose) in which the urine was boiled in the acid state and subsequently 

 fertilized by the addition of boiled liquor potassae. 



If we look at these latter experiments from an independent point of 

 view, it will be found that this fertilization of a previously barren fluid 

 by boiled liquor potassse must be explained by one or other of three 

 hypotheses : — 



\st Hyi)otliesis. The hoiled liquor jpotassce may act as a fertilizing agent 

 because it contains living germs. — However improbable this hypothesis 

 may seem on the face of it, it has been actually disproved by many of 

 the experiments recorded in this memoir. These experiments show that 

 boiled hquor potassse will only act as a fertilizing agent when it is added 

 in certain proportions. If it acted as a mere germ-containing medium, a 



* In the urine of highest acidity •u ith uhich experiment has been made, twenty 

 minims of liquor potassee to the fluid ounce (about 4 per cent.) was required for 

 neutralization. 



