Dec., 1885.] history society of Wisconsin. 
45 
April 6, 1885. 
Dr. Peckham in the chair. 
The chair announced that a Microscopical Section had 
been formed and the following officers elected for the Section: 
Vice-President, H. M. Brown, M. D.; Secretary, W. A. Batche- 
lor, M. D. 
Dr. Ft. Brendecke delivered, in German, the first of a seiies 
of popular lectures on “ Micro-organisms Causing Fermentation 
and Diseases.” Dr. B. gave a brief historical sketch of the 
researches in this field and described the principal forms of 
microscopical fungi, illustrating his remarks by drawings on the 
scale of 1,000 to 10,000 diameters and touching upon the follow¬ 
ing matters: Superstitions formerly connected with the origin of 
diseases.—Discoveries of Leuwenhoek and others in the^ latter 
part of the 17th century.—Investigations by the speaker’s first 
teacher of botany, mineralogy and zoology (1825—1830), Prof. 
Dr. Wiegman, of Braunschweig, who at that early day, more 
than half a century ago and long before anything was known of 
Darwin’s great work, asserted the evolution of new varieties of 
plants by culture.—Ehrenberg’s microscopical discoveries, 1832 
to 1834.—Investigations by Caigniard, Latour, Lehmann and 
Swann (fungus-cells the cause of fermentation). Liebigs oppos 
ing theory (disturbance of molecular equilibrium ot a compo 
nent part of yeast).—Berzelius and Mitcherlich (theory of surface- 
attraction, based on experiments and essays of the speaker, r 
Brendecke, that were published in scientific journals m 1344 and 
universally discussed).—A second series of expenmen s y. v. 
Brendecke, made soon after the first, in which for the first time 
tartrate of ammonia was used for ferment-cultuies. iese e xpei 
iments, referred to in Pasteur’s biography by his son, led the 
illustrious investigator to use the tartrate of ammonia, a materia 
element of the success of his cultures. Davaine s discoveiy in 
1863 (micro-organisms in the blood of animals that ie o 
anthrax).—Investigations multiplying by a gieat numiei o 
celebrated naturalists.—Schizomycetes {Bade) ia) t le prmcipa 
cause of epidemic diseases, of gangrene, blood-poisoning, e c. 
Lister method of treating wounds.—Probability o a etter 
n: xa 
