Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-01


which shows conclusively the baseless-
ness of the accusation.
THE THERMAL DEATH POINT OF
LIVING MATTER.
Dr. Bastian, Professor Of Pathology
zeal Anatomy in University College,
London, has an article in the London
Contemporary ReUie1v on the thermal
death point of living matter, which has
more than professional interest in its
bearings on life and death, health and
disease. The phenomena of life and
growth are possibly only within certain
limits of temperature; but at what
degree of heat and cold vitality and
organization are suspended, are facts to
be determined by careful observation
and experiment. Many seeds may be
dried and kept, with the air excluded,
at moderate temperature, indefinite
", without losing their terminating
power. Dry the eggs of birds or fish,
in a similar manner, and few or
none can be made to hatch.
Desication destroys life, but not in all
cases. Prof. Sanderson says "fully
formed bacteria are deprived of their
power Of further development by
thorough desication." According to
the same experimenter, these micro
scopic germs are killed by a brief ex-
posure to a heat of 40 degrees. Liebig
proved that sugar yeast entirely lost
its power of growth and termination at
40 deg. Fair. Farnsworth proved by
numerous experiments that the spores
of common fungi lose entirely their
terminating power, if heated to Isl
deg, in their own nourishing fluids. "
DR.. Timothy Lewis found that the
germs of tspeworms are invariably
killed at the same temperature, and
Prof Mantegazza that the repro
ductive particles of male frogs
are destroyed at the same heat
Fouchet experimental on ciliated in
fusionia and many aquatic minute or
ganisms, and found not one which
could live in higher temperature.
Our limits do not permit US to fol-
low DR.. Bastian in his heightened eta
tons of authorities; but having proved
that life becomes extinct In isolated
organic matter, Theoretically sealed in
a glass vessel, at the heat of 40
degrees, we have to account for
the appearance of living animals in
the same. The Origin-of-Life ques-
ton is the greatest scientific question
of the age; and while so many diseases,
contagious and on-contagious, are
propagated by microscopic parasites,
it is well to learn, il We can, the true
origin of these living germs of pesti-
lence, and of death to all the higher clas-
ses Of organic life. Prof. Huxley says:
Beast and fowl, reptile and fish, mol
lusk, worm and polype, are all CON-
posed of structural units of the same
chan acter, namely masses of protoplasm
with a nucleus. Thus it becomes clear
that all living powers are cognate, and
all living forms are fundamentally of
one character" DIR. Bastian states, In
substance, that strong infusion of
turnips was rendered family alkaline
by liquor pottasse, and to this a few
separate muscular fibers of a Goldfish
were added. Some of this mixture was
introduced into a flask of nearly two
ounces capacity. While the fluid was
boiling in the flask, its neck was drawn
out in the flame Of a blow-pipe, and |
Theoretically sealed, so that glass sur
rounded the contents of the flask on |
every side and part. The
flask was then heated in a
liquid at from go to 275 degrees
for twenty minutes, and allowed to cool.
After this il was heated for an hour at |
a temperature of go degrees. When
withdrawn from the digester, the flask |
was kept at a temperature of from 20 |
to 80 degrees for eight weeks, AMI DUR
ing part of this time it was exposed |
to the direct rays Of sunlight. After
it was ascertained that the flask was
free from all crack or fault, the neck
was broken off, and the contents exa-
mined. The fluid had d decided acid |
reaction, a Preventative process having
taken place in the solution. Thousands
of bacteria were found of most diverse
shapes and sizes, either separate or ag-
gregated into fakes. There were also
a large number of monilated chains of
various lengths, of kind very fire.
quently met with in Assesses and
other situations of low typhoid |
state in the human subject.
There was a large number OF the yeast |
germs, brownish, indicated, spore-ike |
bodies, varying from a thirty thou
santh to a two hundred and fifty |
thousandth of an inch in diameter.
Lastly, there was small quantity of |
a mycelial fungus flament, bearing
short branches, most of which were
capped by single spore.
Here were new plants and new ami
mails with their organs of reproduction
all perfect. Dfavitality pass from the
turnip and the cod fish through fire, as
it were, to start a new career in the |
lowest known types of plants and ami
mails? Very skillful ANTAGONISTS have
been recently engaged in dissections of
diseased lIvers, kidneys, lungs, and
flesh of hogs, sheep, cattle and horses,