456 Influence of Liquor Potasses ^c, on Microphytes. [Dec. 21^ 



cipitatecl phosphate in some of the flasks presented a granular appearance, 

 which might, by the unwary, be mistaken for Micrococci ; but any such 

 illusion was at once dissipated by adding a drop of hydrochloric acid, 

 which instantly dissolved the phosphate and restored the perfect trans- 

 parency of the urine. This acid has no effect on the turbidity caused 

 by Microphytes. 



These experiments therefore negative the conclusion that liquor 

 potassEe, or a temperature of 115° P. to 122° F., or both conditions 

 combined, have the power of exciting the generation of organisms in 

 sterilized inline. 



The effect of elevated temperature was also tested in another way. 

 I had by me twenty-nine preparations of fermentible liquids which had 

 remained over from my previous experiments in 1873-74. These con- 

 sisted of 



15 alkalized hay-infusions, 

 5 pieces of boiled egg-albumen in water, 



1 pieces of turnip in water, 



2 diluted ascitic fluid, 

 1 blood with water, 



1 albuminous urine, 



4 pieces of meat or fish in water. 



These had all been sterilized by the heat of boiling water two or three 

 years ago, and were contained in large bulbs with long necks. Ten of 

 the hay-infusions were hermetically sealed ; the rest were all open to the 

 air, under the protection of a plug of cotton-wool. All possessed per- 

 fectly transparent supernatant liquids, and showed no signs of containing 

 organisms, nor of having undergone any fermentive or putrefactive 

 changes. 



These twenty-nine preparations were introduced into the incu- 

 bator, and maintained at a constant temperature of 115° F. for two 

 days, and then at a temperature of 122° T. for three days. At the 

 end of this period not one of them showed any signs of fertility. 

 The supernatant liquid in each bulb was quite transparent, and some 

 of them which were opened for microscopic examination showed no 

 traces of living organisms. 



I can, however, fully confirm the statement of Dr. Bastian, that 

 Bacteria, or certain kinds of them, grow and multiply freely in (un- 

 sterilized) urine, both acid and neutralized, when exposed to a tempe- 

 rature of 115° r. to 122° r. 



