260 
Experiments on 
[Monthly Microscopical 
Journal, Nov. 1, 1869. 
mass in the pellicle of the beef infusion had already begun to 
assume a definite form. (See Fig. 2.) After this I saw no great 
change in this, except that it followed closely in the wake of the 
transformations of the molecules of the liver, and which will now 
claim our special attention. The contents of the third vessel, 
which contained an infusion of fish, will be alluded to farther on. 
On the third day the principal portion of the molecular mass had 
arranged themselves into long tubular lines, the tubes being formed 
of a very thin transparent film (Fig. 3). This protoplasmic and 
structureless substance is very remarkable, and is found in all the 
infusions that I have as yet had under experiment, and in this 
the greater part of the molecules are seen to be imbedded ; and it 
appears to me that this is what is acted on by the forces before 
mentioned, and which becomes moulded into the various forms that 
more or less approach some of the recognized animalcules. 
The substances which we are discussing appear to me to divide 
themselves naturally into four divisions; thus, first we have the 
molecules ; secondly, we have the structureless substance ; thirdly, 
we have the oil- globules, or cells; and, fourthly, we have what 
appear to be vegetable cells, or spores of some mucedinous plant. 
The latter were so distinct that it would be impossible to confound 
them with anything else seen in the infusions; and from their 
being found in the flocculent matter, and also imbedded in the film, 
as seen attached to the piece of liver at the bottom of the vessel, I 
do not believe them to be obtained from the atmosphere. On the 
fourth day the oil-globules were very numerous, and varying from 
y-^Vo th to T^i tro"th of an inch in diameter, each having a double wall ; 
the interior was entirely filled with what appeared in the smaller 
cells to be a grumous mass, but the larger cells showed what this 
really was, namely, a mass of cells, and these again were filled with 
smaller cells, and so on, until they were lost to view (Fig. 4) ; so 
that one large cell contained many generations of c^Us. 
The next day these larger cells had burst, and their contents 
had formed themselves in long, moniliform, decussating lines (see 
Fig. 5), and from a group of these I observed another, and quite a 
distinct growth, had sprung, agreeing in the manner of branching 
to a plant I shall next have to mention. The mycelium-like 
threads measured about ^oVirth of an inch in diameter, and they had 
just the appearance of the mycelium of some fungus. I tried to 
find the nucleus or spore from which these mycelia had sprung, but 
I could find none. The only thing I observed was, that they 
appeared to me to spring from this group of cells. Both these 
groups of cells had a yellowish-blue colour, I presume from the 
refracted light. 
On this same day (the fifth) of the experiments there appeared 
at the bottom of the infusion of the liver a remarkable plant (Fig. 6). 
