113 
PROFESSOR TYNDALL’S EXPERIMENTS ON 
SPONTANEOUS GENERATION, AND DR. B ASTI AN’S 
POSITION. 
By the Rey. W. H. DALLINGER, V.P.R.M.S. 
[PLATE CXXXIH.] 
I N the present position of Biological Science in relation to 
this important and interesting question, any positive results 
which have a definite bearing on the difficulties of the subject, 
and point hopefully to new methods of research* must be 
wa rml y welcomed. Professor Tyndall’s beautiful series of ex- 
periments “ On the Optical Deportment of the Atmosphere in 
reference to the Phenomena of Putrefaction and Infection” are 
precisely of this class, and will give new impulse and direction 
to all unbiassed labour. It is to be regretted when, in a matter 
•so purely one of rigid science as this is, impassioned contro- 
versy is suffered to have any place.' It fails utterly of its 
intended purpose, and simply hinders and delays the final issue. 
There are few but will have admired the animation, courage, 
and resolution manifested by Dr. Bastian in the discussion of 
this question during the last five years ; but those who have 
been most capable of understanding the method, nature, and 
object of his experiments, and the general drift of his reasoning, 
are those who most earnestly disavow the perhaps unconscious, 
but nevertheless too palpable, advocacy of a thesis which his 
writings so freely display. 
Dr. Bastian’s position in relation to the origin of minute 
organic forms has, at the outset, the immense disadvantage of 
being adverse to the whole analogical teaching of nature, down 
to the uttermost depths of minuteness, ivhere our knoiuledge is 
accurate and sound. Wherever science has put down the 
landmarks of possession, and is not dealing with the disputable 
territory of hypothesis, it is absolutely known that at some 
period in the cycle of development the lowliest organisms are 
VOL. XV. — NO. LIX. I 
