The modes of origin of lowest organisms

The modes of origin of lowest organisms - including a discussion of the experiments of M. Pasteur

Having been compelled by the results of my investigations on the question of the Origin of Life to arrive at conclusions adverse to generally received opinions, I found that several persons having high authority in matters of science, were little disposed to assent to these views. To a great extent this seemed due to the fact that a distinguished chemist had previously gone over some of the same ground, and had arrived at precisely opposite conclusions. M.Pasteur has been long known as an able and brilliant experimenter, and some of his admirers seem to regard him as an almost equally faultless reasoner. Renewed and prolonged experimentation having tended to demonstrate the truth of my original conclusions, and to convince me of the utter untenability of M.Pasteurs views, it seemed that the best course to pursue would be, at first, to endeavour to show into what errors of reasoning M.Pasteur had fallen, and also how his conclusions were capable of being reversed by the employment of different experimental materials, and different experimental methods. Then, having presented, in a connected form, evidence which might suffice to shake the faith of all who preserved a right of independent judgment, one might hope to have paved the way for the reception of new viewseven though they were adverse to those of M.Pasteur. The present volume contains, indeed, only a fragment of the evidence which will be embodied in a much larger worknow almost completedrelating to the nature and origin of living matter, and in favour of what is termed the physical doctrine of Life. The question of the mode of origin of Living Matter, is inextricably mixed up with another problem as to the cause of fermentation and putrefaction. M.Pasteurs labours were, at first, undertaken in order to solve the latter difficultyto decide, in fact, between two rival hypotheses. It was held, on the one hand, that many ferments were mere dead nitrogenous substances, and that fermentation was a purely chemical process, for the initiation of which the action of living organisms was not necessary; whilst, on the other hand, it was also maintained that no fermentation could be initiated without the agency of living thingsin fact, that all ferments were living organisms. The former may be called the physical theory of fermentation, of which Baron Liebig is the most prominent modern exponent; whilst the latter may be termed the vital theory of fermentation, and this is the doctrine of M.Pasteur. All the facts which I have to adduce, so far as the subject of fermentation is concerned, are wholly in favour of the views of Baron Liebig. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 49373
Author: Bastian, H. Charlton
Release Date: Jul 6, 2015
Format: eBook
Language: English