ON VINOUS FERMENTATION. 
49 
I have followed attentively the changes occurring in the 
juice of the gooseberry after it had been filtered and enclosed 
in a flask. I perceived in the liquid a few days after, many 
animalcules of some size, but which, although at first very 
active, became sluggish as soon as the vinous fermentation 
began, and soon disappeared, which is remote from the idea 
that the globules of ferment belong to the animal kingdom. 
The globules of ferment are susceptible of the power of 
rapid development, for a little of the must from the vat of 
which I have spoken, on examination by the microscope eight 
hours after the addition of the yeast, already exhibited in the 
field of the instrument, armed with the power of three hun- 
dred diameters, from twenty-four to one hundred globules, 
while immediately after the introduction of the yeast there 
were but sixteen. 
Likewise, on collecting the whole amount of the ferment 
which the vat o( liquor could produce by the fermentation, the 
quantity was found to be very near seven times the weight 
of the ferment used; a fact which agrees very well with the 
results of my microscopic examination. 
From the quickness with which the excess of the ferment 
was obtained, there is every reason to believe that this excess 
is due principally to the reproduction of the globules of fer- 
ment. Every brewer knows that the must of beer produces 
a greater weight of ferment than had been used, but this is 
supposed to be owing principally to the precipitation of vege- 
table albumen. 
But while the must of beer is the means by which the glo- 
bules of ferment may be very easily reproduced, it is not the 
same with simple solutions of sugar, for the ferment in acting 
upon these does not increase in weight, but on the contrary is 
well known to lose its activity. 
To ascertain the cause of this deterioration, I examined with 
the microscope a ferment with which I had effected two suc- 
cessive fermentations of sugar in close vessels, and I perceived 
that the ferment which had but moderate powers contained a 
certain quantity of amorphous deposit, proceeding without 
vol. v. — no. i. 7 
