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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW, 
as to how the bacteria became developed in these situations, however, is a 
point by no means so well determined. It is to this problem that M. 
B^champ has directed his attention, and to which he endeavours to reply 
in the Coinptes^Rendus of February 22, 1869. M. B^champ states his 
belief that the reason why these organisms are found in the cells of plants 
is that the plants themselves contain the germs of bacteria in the so-called 
microzymas which enter into their own constitution. He describes a number 
of interesting experiments on foreign plants, and then tabulates the follow- 
ing conclusions : — (1) Bacteria may easily be developed even in acid solu- 
tions. (2). The normal microzymas of plants, like those of animals, may 
readily become evolved into bacteria. (3). It is likely that when plants 
are inoculated- with bacteria, these bacteria do not continue either to live 
or propagate. (4). Previous observations on spontaneous generation have 
overlooked the existence of the small molecular bodies (the microzymcB). 
With reference to this last conclusion of the author’s, we must remark that 
it is quite a gratuitous assumption. Dr. Hughes Bennett, and also Pouchet 
and others, admit the existence of the molecular basis, though they may not 
admit its power of movement. M. B^champ’s paper appears elsewhere in 
our pages. * 
CHEMISTRY. 
The Derivatives of Benzine. — In a paper lately read before the Royal 
Academy of St. Petersburg, M. Zinin stated that, while pursuing his 
researches on the derivatives of benzine, he found that chlorobenzile is 
easily attacked by reducing agents, and that in its alcoholic solution it is 
transformed into desoxybenzine by the action of zinc and hydrochloric acid. 
The reaction is thus expressed : — 
C,JI,oOCL+H,-CL=C,JI,,0. 
The product obtained is almost pure, and exempt from all foreign matter. — 
Vide V Institute March 10, 1869. 
The Varieties of Graphite. — M. Berthelot, who has been recently giving 
much attention to this important subject, has published some of his conclu- 
sions in the Comptes Be^idus ; and our contemporary the Chemical News 
(March 5th) has given a translation of them. M. Berthelot describes the 
following process for separating these several forms of graphite : Mix with 
the powdered carbon five times its weight of chlorate of potassium previously 
pulverised, and gradually form into a sort of paste with fuming nitric acid ; 
leave it for some hours in a small open flask, and then heat it for three or 
four days without intermission to about 50 deg. or 60 deg. C. ; after 
this dilute it with water and wash by decantation with tepid water until 
the salts of potash are dissolved. This will give the following results : — 1st. 
In the case of a mixture of amorphous'carbon and diamond, the amorphous 
carbon is entirely dissolved after a few repetitions of the process, while the 
diamond remains unaltered. 2nd. In a mixture of graphite and amorphous 
carbon, the amorphous carbon is completely dissolved after repeated treat- 
ment, whilst the graphite gives rise to an insoluble graphitic oxide of a 
