134 TlMEHRI. 
of our filtrations the undiluted rum when filtered gave a 
filtrate which became turbid on dilution with water, and 
this diluted filtrate when itself filtered through the same 
filter became absolutely clear. Sugar Cane loc» cit, p. 
415, Timehri loc. c, p. 8, 
The authors next give a quotation from Professor 
Hansen's work, which does not appear relevant to their 
assumption. Hansen, in it, is alluding to the necessity of 
sterilising filters at short intervals, owing to the microbes 
gradually, in course of time, growing through the pores of 
the substance of the filter. Here each filtration occupied 
only a short time and such growth was not possible. 
Double filtration is really only necessary in cases where 
the filter is not of sufficiently fine texture to at once 
retain the microbes, and where the rate of filtration is 
unduly accelerated by excessive pressure. 
The authors do not notice a phenomenon which 
we have found has always accompanied the filtration, 
through Pasteur-Chamberland filters, of coloured rum, 
that much of the coloured matter is retained by the filter, 
and in consequence the colour of the filtered rum is 
materially reduced. If the filter can remove from solu- 
tion, and retain colouring matters of high molecular 
v/eights as ours does, is it likely that it would fail to 
remove bacteria of such unusually large size as 
" Coleothrix methystes '^ is described to be ? 
On the same page (10) Mr. and Mrs. Veley describe 
the failure of their efforts to inoculate sound rum with 
"a few colonies of the micro-organism" and notice 
similar failures on our part. Here the weakest part of 
the attempted proof of their theory becomes apparent. 
We were led by them to believe th^.t the micro-organism 
'* not only lives but multiplies rapidly" in rum; now we 
are told that " its power of multiplication soon becomes 
latent in the spirit " and that "it cannot be supposed 
that the organism is existing in favourable conditions in 
rum of such alcoholic strength. No person of experience 
in horticulture would sow seeds on a cinder path and 
expect to obtain a good flower bed." A reference to 
page 7 shows that in sample XVI the authors claim to 
have found "enormous quantities of cocci"" and in 
