150 



ON THE PRODUCTION OF INFUSORIA. 



gases which would otherwise evolve. Hence the offensive smell of the 

 mixture. 2, The heat not being- so powerful as when the vegetable 

 matter is only impregnated with water, the gluten and gelatine still 

 remain unchanged, and are held in suspension in the water. 3, The 

 mag-ma, which would be dried and become vegetable mould, remains 

 as a feculent matter, also held in suspension in the water. 4, The 

 ammonia, probably, which would have exhaled in the state of gas, is 

 held in solution by the water, and gives it new properties. 



Cause 3. — The loose context of the stalks or leaves of the vegeta- 

 bles, owing to their partial diffusion in a fluid medium. 



Effect. — This will effectually prevent the extrication of the heat 

 which is produced by the close context of the veg-etable matter when 

 in a heap, and the decomposition will consequently be slower and more 

 imperfect. 



Having gone through the principal elements of the subject, — viz. 1, 

 The component parts of vegetables : 2, the nature of putrefactive fer- 

 mentation : 3, the usual circumstances and the required circumstances 

 under which this process proceeds : 4, the causes and effects of the re- 

 quired circumstances : — we now come to demonstrate the actual state 

 of the water, which we must now consider as an infusion, and how that 

 state produces the animalcules, which are the subject of " Tyro's " 

 inquiry. 



We have then an infusion consisting of water, holding in suspension 

 a compound of gluten, gelatine, albumen and magma, as also numerous 

 insoluble ingredients. It holds in solution a portion of the nitrogen, 

 hydrogen, and carbonic acid, and probably ammonia. 



In this, when in a state of putrefactive fermentation, a number of 

 minute animalcules (called infusoria) are detected by the aid of the 

 microscope. To suppose that these animalcules are produced by the 

 putrid infusion, without the agency of eggs from parent animalcules, 

 would be to admit equivocal generation, a theory too absurd and mon- 

 strous for any philosopher, much less a christian, to admit for a moment ; 

 but the puzzling question then presents itself — whence did the eggs 

 come ? 



To answer this question in a fully satisfactory manner to the minds 

 of all enquirers, may be a matter of considerable difficulty ; but I think 

 our previous analytical investigation will lead to the following inductive 

 reasoning : — 



As these animalcules are found in liquids only, and the species 

 referred to in putrefactive infusion generally, and as all stagnant waters 



