1876.] 
Notices of Books. 
261 
a majority of scientific men having been engrossed and subse- 
quently gratified with the impulsive deduction drawn by Virchow 
— ‘ that all known fadts are opposed to the said theory of Gene- 
ratio Spontanea and the remainder being absorbed by the 
vagary of the 4 Germ theory ’ extant, proclaiming ‘ omne vivum 
ex vivo analogous to the settled conclusions anent the natural 
processes of development of the sub-kingdom Vertebrata, Mol- 
lusca, &c., which patient investigation elucidated with regard to 
the origin of these ; the real cause of 4 Generatio Spontanea ’ 
has therefore been absolutely evaded, and hitherto involved in 
obscurity.” 
From this passage- — which we can scarcely say gives us a very 
favourable impression of the author’s habits of thought — we 
learn that he upholds the dodtrine of Abiogenesis, and that he 
denies or doubts the presence, in the atmosphere and elsewhere, 
of organic germs, which under suitable circumstances may be 
developed. He repeatedly puts before us the question — “ What 
is the real cause of Generatio Spontanea ? — what is the cause of 
the development of these Infusorial Animalculae from organic 
matter?” But before inquiring into the cause, it would surely 
be wise to be certain of the existence of the effedt. This we do 
not see that our author succeeds in doing. We find no experi- 
ments here recorded where vegetal or animal life has arisen in 
solutions placed under such circumstances that no germs or 
seeds could have been introduced from without. Instead of 
such he tells us — 
“ This conclusion which has been arrived at, of heat being the 
cause of spontaneous generation, has been ascertained by the 
following series of experiments, conducted, as will be noticed, 
with the most careful observation : — 
“ I. Any organic substance, either vegetable or animal, or 
both together, without previous boiling, subjedted to the in- 
fluence of and for the absorption of a legitimate temperature of 
heat (a subjedt I shall subsequently demonstrate), resulted in the 
production of living Animalculae. 
“II. I subjedted a vegetable solution in cold water (without 
boiling), in a vessel, to a legitimate temperature of heat : after 
the lapse of some hours microscopic investigation evinced signs 
of adtive vivacity ; in other words, Infusorial Animalculae were 
skating about numerously, in adtive vivacity.” 
Now, that the author adtually obtained these results our 
readers will scarcely question. No precautions were taken to 
destroy pre-existing life by boiling, or to prevent its subsequent 
introduction from without. By way of demonstration that the 
organisms developed in the liquid were not occasioned by 
“ germs,” we find the following passage: — “ To prove my asser- 
tion that the said germs are visionary I cannot do better than 
quote Dr. Dougall, who recently asked — ‘ What must be the size 
of the germs which give rise to organisms of about 1,400,000th 
