REVIEWS. 
4 
ing altogether, and into the question of when they are to he considered 
living or dead ; for it is really on this point of temperature that most of the 
experiments are based. From a careful examination of Dr. Bastian’s most 
interesting work, which contains a host of researches, we are much disposed 
to agree with him in his supposition that the process which he advocates is 
not only likely, but actually takes place. At the same time, we confess 
that there are obvious faults in the line of reasoning which Dr. Bastian 
pursues. He does not seem to us to have determined with sufficient clear- 
ness that the heat to which he exposed certain of his solutions was amply 
adequate to kill the genus which he caused to undergo their development. 
If this be so, it is clear that he has the most of the argument with Professor 
Huxley. It seems to us that he is right; but clearly, as the argument 
stands, Professor Huxley has the best of it. In some of his experiments 
Dr. Bastian does not appear to us to have been adequately careful. See, 
for instance, when he says (p. 63), “ On the other hand, if the turnip solu- 
tion be neutralised by the addition of a little ammonic carbonate, or 
liquor potassse ; or, better still, if even half a y rain of neiv cheese (the 
italics are ours) be added to the infusion before it is boiled, then I have 
found that the fluid speedily becomes turbid, owing to the appearance of 
multitudes of Bacteria. In an infusion to which a fragment of cheese had 
been added I have seen a pellicle form in three days, which, on microscopic 
examination, proved to be composed of an aggregation of Bacteria, Vibriones, 
and Leptothrix filaments.” Surely, it must occur to Dr. Bastian that the 
cheese which he introduced must have contained the parents of the bacteria 
produced, and that probably his boiling the liquor was not sufficient to 
destroy the life of their organisms. In any case, this, which is in some 
respects a type of the author’s experiments, would not be sufficient to satisfy 
those who are sceptical upon the subject. We trust, therefore, that in the 
work -which Dr. Bastian promises us on the subject more satisfactory in- 
vestigations will be found. The present work is most interesting ; but, as an 
argumentative one, it is not sufficiently conclusive. 
NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.* 
I T is, to a certain extent, unfortunate — we mean, of course, for the pub- 
lishers — that there should be at the same time two series of works 
of the same kind for the use of students. Messrs. Longmans are issuing a 
series of excellent and cheap manuals upon the different branches of science, 
and almost at the same time the Messrs. Groombridge are advertising for 
sale a set of works, nearly of the same class, and appealing to exactly the 
same people. The present work is one of the Natural Philosophy Series, and 
is in every respect, so far as we have seen, an excellent manual. Its phy- 
sical features, size, type, and illustrations are all excellent, and the general 
* a A Course of Natural Philosophy, containing the Elements of Me- 
chanics, Hydrostatics, and Optics, for Schools, &c.” By Richard Wormell, 
M.A., B.Sc. London : Groombridge, 1871. 
