Experiments on the Development of Bacteria in Organic Infusions

Abstract

THE correspondence in your journal on this subject (relating chiefly to the statements of Dr. Bastian) in which I took a part some six or seven months since—renders it necessary, in justice to myself; and I may add, injustice to the memory of my friend, Dr. Pode, whose loss has prevented me from continuing a series of experiments on the nutrition of Bacteria, commenced in the spring—to give some account in your columns of experiments carried out by us, which demonstrate that Dr. Bastian's assertions as to infusions of turnip and turnip-cheese are devoid of foundation in fact. The paper in which our results are given in detail was sent in to the Royal Society at the end of last March and printed in May (Proceedings, No. 145). Since you are not able to afford space for the reproduction of that paper in full, I must beg to refer your readers, for details, to that publication of the Royal Society. Here I may be allowed to sketch briefly the results and their bearing on Dr. Bastian's statements. The following passage from that gentleman's “Beginnings of Life” (vol. i. p. 429) induced us to make experiments similar to those mentioned in it, with the view of testing the correctness of his conclusion as to matter of fact:—