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or corpuscles are seen ; these aggregate and change, and 
ultimately by transverse processes, chains of cells are pro- 
duced in such numbers that the water becomes turbid, and 
there results a peculiar fungus, recognised as occurring in 
the fermentation of albuminous liquids, and this fermentation 
may be viewed as a vegetating process. During the vegeta- 
tion and production of these cells, a peculiar odour is 
observable, and this Dr. Hodges traces to the formation of 
Butyric Acid and Butyric Ether. Other odours are observed, 
and are so like a brewery that he was induced to try by some 
direct method to ascertain if alcohol was present, but he 
obtained no proofs of the presence of alcoholic spirit. 
The peculiar fungi seen in Schenck's process occur readily 
under certain conditions. In vats of some material, as slate 
or iron, it is never seen at all ; in wood, it takes place 
slowly at first, indeed in new works and in new wood vats it 
is never seen at all in first working ; while in works of con- 
stant use, the odour, and the scum of cobweb-like appear- 
ance, are probably the circumstances to strike a stranger 
at first entrance. It is suspected a practical use may 
be found for these results ; that fermentation in vats may 
be accelerated from any cause when it is tardy ; some of these 
cells may be placed in the vats, and then the fermentation 
be accelerated by this vegetation. It is probable that in 
new vats the cells developed adhere to the new wood, 
and to the surface of the flax. The experiment of artificial 
vegetation or fermentation has been actually tried with suc- 
cess, and it is probable that the water of the famed rivers of 
Lys and Courtrae may not only be charged with these cells, 
spontaneously produced by the previous decomposition of 
flax, but that the sides of the rivers, the weeds, the very 
mud, may also afford myriads of these cells, that imme- 
diately find appropriate material in the flax placed pur- 
posely to decay ; and thus observation and natural science may 
