The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-24
A Battle of the Giants.


Professor Tyndall has been experimenting
upon the various phenomena of spontaneous
generation and brings the results of his ex-
periments before the Royal Society. This
question is an apple of dscord among scien-
lists. Each claims to have arrived at differ
ent results by following out similar conditions
and each repeats every new experiment of
the other only to find confirmation of his own
investigations. A case in point is illustrated
in Mr.. Tyndalps own paper. DR.. Bastian ex-
perimenting with an infusion of animal tissue
boiled is an Theoretically sealed glass vessel.
and afterwards kept in warm place claims
that "after variable time the previously
heated fluid within the hermetically sealed
flask swarms more or less plentifully with
bacteria and allied organisms" Upon this,
Professor Tyndall prepared one hundred and
containing infusons of various animal tissues
and out of this number not one showed evi.
dence of implanted life. DR.. Bastan had al
so found signs of life in infusions exposed to
air filtered through cottonwood, or to cal.
cined air, or preserved in uacuo. Professor
Tyndall by making the same experiments
found none. One party may claim that
where living organisms have been fouad the
experimentor has carelessly admitted some in
finitesimal germ of life; the other, where evi-
dences of life have not been found, that in
preparing the infusion the germ of life was in
some way not merely excluded but also the
capacity 10 support life.
Professor Tyndalrs experiments have
tended to remove something of this uneer
taihty. He has experimental: with air sun
tortured by any artificial process. Into boz
with glass front and panes of glass upor
the sides beam of light was admitted SO
that the floating notes could be seen. Th,
interior was smeared with glycerine to catct
the settling particles, and two bent tube
opened TO the outer atmosphere from the toI
of the box. At the bottom were placed tes
tubes to contain the fluids under observation
which could be filed through a long glass
tube from the top. 1t was the purpose o.
the box to prevent the contained air from
being disturbed The beam of light ad
mitted at first disclosed floating particles, but
after three days of quiet none could be seen
The test tubes were then filled with variou:
infusions of vegetable and animal substance,
boiled for five minutes and left to await re
suits. Experiments with similar infusions in
the outer air invariably developed organism.
in from two to four days, while those in the
motionless air showed no signs of putrefac
tion or organic life. When, however, at the
end of four months the external air was free
ly admitted to the box, in three days there
was large amount of bacteria. From thi:
the author deduces the conclusion that the
lowest forms of animal life can only arise
from implanted germs not visible through
the microscope, and thus throws his opinion
against the Spontaneous generation" theory
He also made experiments to test the at
mospheric diffusion of germs and their agency
in the spread of epidemic disease. Thirty
test tubes containing an infusion of hay
thirty-five containing an infusion of turnips
and thirty-five an infusion of beef were ex
posed to the atmosphere, and it was found
that the different tubes were attacked by pu
trefaction at different times and in different
degrees. One tube containing the beef in
fusion became turbid day in advance of the
rest, and SO on through the different tubes
and infusions until all were affected, not all
tubes of the same infusion showing the sam
degree of putrefaction at the last.
From this Professor Tyndall conclude:
the germs of contagion float through the all
in clouds with clear spaces between, and that
the germs differ among themselves as to theil
power of action, some being dry and old,
others fresh and moist. In this way he
would account for the different manifesto
tions of epidemic disease in different local..
ties, and its effect upon different individuals.
In the face of this DR.. Bastrain is not YET
satisfied or convinced. He proposes to take
Professor Tyndalrs own boxes, "to use all
the precautions he specifies" and yet by
careful attention to the various preparations,
''to show him and others that some of the
fluids which in his hands have hitherto in
variably remained barren, may yet be made
to swarm with bacteria"
The great practical Importance of the ques-
ton of spontaneous generation in regard to
its relation to disease recommends it to the
attention OF the public, and we await with
interest the evidence upon the other side of
the question which DR.. Bastian promises us.