166 
rorULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
THE NATURAL DEVELOPMENT OF BACTERIA IN 
THE PROTOPLASMIC PARTS OF VARIOUS PLANTS. 
HE pulp of portions of soft and green plants is speedily 
invaded by myriads of bacteria, of varying size, and doubt- 
less of different species. Before this invasion, the microscope 
shows nothing in the pulp but cells and molecular granulations. 
It is alleged that the air conveys into the artificial medium 
created by the friction of the vegetable parts, either the germs 
of bacteria or the bacteria themselves ; it is also alleged that 
these bacteria are the result of spontaneous generation. This 
note is intended to show the small foundation existing for 
either of these views. The fact is, that, despite all precautions, 
if we do not kill the molecidar granulations (by means of heat, 
or by the use of creosote or phenic acid in a coagulating dose), 
we cannot prevent the appearance of bacteria. This is because 
the plant really and naturally contains in itself the germs of 
these bacteria; to wit, the microzymas or molecular granula- 
After the frosts we had at Montpellier during the winter of 
1867-68, I had occasion to observe two frozen plants of 
Echinocactus. Some weeks after the thaw, I investigated the 
kind of histologic change which the freezing had caused in the 
tissue of this plant. The epidermis bore no trace of lesion, and 
was as resilient as before the frost; evidently the great density 
of the tissue and its thickness proved a sufficient barrier against 
the penetration of bacteria, vibriones, or their germs. On an 
incision being made into the protoplasmic portion, the matter 
taken from the deep part of the wound, or immediately under 
the epidermic layer, contained myriads of bacteria, in which 
the BacteHum tei'mo and jndi'idinw were predominant. At 
the time when I was drawing up these observations, for the 
purpose of publishing them, I, with M. Estor, was occupying 
myself with the nucrozymas of animal organisms, and, in the 
interval, M. Davaine published his “ Physiological and Patho- 
By M. a. BECIIAMP.* 
tions, 
• Translated from the French by C. II. 
