New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-10

tubes putrefed as rapidly az the open tubes-sons-
times even more rapidly Was then the spontaneous
theory truei and why should not Prof. Iyndall
admit il to be true He believed himself willng'
he told ~ TO sacrifice any pride OF opinion ne HlgIt
have. but be believed iG more likely that there
should be an error in his method OF WofKlie'
and that some new conditions should he present tha
that what he beliey ed 10 he law OF nature shond
be wantony broken. lie therefore set 10 "orh
afresh. lie modified the construction oil hl- eh;in-
bers redoublng his at every point 10 breseI'
the complete insulation of the tubes trom all p1sSl
bic contact with any air but the air Oh the chaHliei
fe carried the chambers out OF the EDoial"rS H'"
another part Of the building: hnally,smspIru oS
partial success in some cases, lncllnins 10 "o''0
thai ly the long course of experiments lac had car
red on the air of the whole building had become III
fecrcd and incapable Of complete publication 10
confirm or confute this notion he had number Oh
new chambers made not Of wood, but OF tin not
allowing the new ones TO be even brought 10 the
ROYAL INSTITUTION but sending them direct from the
makers 10 the new aud unused laboratory iatcS
completed at Kew for DIR. Hooker. There, III q nesh
and uHcontaminated atmosphere, he once more IT,
nawed his elorts. The result was confederation
Of last wears experience and n striking goof ghat
his theory of infection in the air of the Royai
Institution was a sound theory. The change was
complete OF all the tubes treated at Kew, one anu
only one failed; and the cause OF putrefaetloh III
that was discovered to be minnie hole through inc
tin framework of the chamber. The others wthou'
exception remained intact, and he had the satsid'-
ton Of producing them last night before his audi
euce brilliant and crystai-ciear as the day lney
were filled. some weeks before, side By side with
those which had been filled in 4s own laboratory,
aud which were all rotten. and pe0pled each one
with mvriads of bacteria. Dr.. TyHdail was consd-
crate enoughto assure Us that this Infection, which
was so fatal To infusions of hay and cucumber ana
beef, was not injurious TO human life; and 40 re-
lieve us from the alarm which an audience breathing
an atmosphere denounced as so pestientiai might
be excused for feeling.
II IS likely enough that attempt Will be
made by the spontaneous generationists to turn To
their own account the apparent failures which Dr.
Tyndal so frankly admitted, VIGOROUSLY overcome
though they were. To people who have no other
interest IN the matter than 10 get at the TRUTH these
failures will probably strong argument the
other way. II was once rcmarked-with curious
ndfrcie-that Prof. Tyudall would succeed IN pro
ducing spontaneous generation if he worked IN the
right way That il gOod illustration Of the care
lcssness of thought which may get possession even
of a scientific mind. The real problem is to conduct
an experiment and a long series Of experiments,
with such rigorous accuracy 10 exclude al posi-
bic communication between the soil and the seed,
to use Prof. Tyndais VIVID comparison that Is
between the gern-laden air and the infusion IN
which the germ nay BE fartilized and spring into
life That Is what the believers IN spontaneous
generation have yet to do; and no lesson could be
more instructive as to the difficulty OF dong 1t than
the account which Prof Tyudail has given OF bis
own labors.' G. VS..