This summary and the preconceived views that it set forth have
lost nothing of their exactness; on the contrary, time has
strengthened them. The surmises of the last two paragraphs have
received valuable confirmation from recent observations made by
Messrs. Lechartier and Bellamy, as well as by ourselves, an
account of which we must put before our readers. It is necessary,
however, before touching upon this curious feature in connection
with fermentations to insist on the accuracy of a passage in the
preceding summary; the statement, namely, that yeast could
multiply in an albuminous liquid, in which it found a non-
fermentable sugar, milk-sugar, for example. The following is an
experiment on this point:--On August 15th, 1875, we sowed a trace
of yeast in 150 cc. (rather more than 5 fluid ounces) of yeast--
water, containing 2 1/2 per cent, of milk-sugar. The solution was
prepared in one of our double-necked flasks, with the necessary
precautions to secure the absence of germs, and the yeast sown
was itself perfectly pure. Three months afterwards, November
15th, 1875, we examined the liquid for alcohol; it contained only
the smallest trace; as for the yeast (which had sensibly
developed), collected and dried on a filter paper, it weighed
0.050 gramme (0.76 grain). In this case we have the yeast
multiplying without giving rise to the least fermentation, like a
fungoid growth, absorbing oxygen, and evolving carbonic acid, and
there is no doubt that the cessation of its development in this
experiment was due to the progressive deprivation of oxygen that
occurred. As soon as the gaseous mixture in the flask consisted
entirely of carbonic acid and nitrogen, the vitality of the yeast
was dependent on, and in proportion to, the quantity of air which
entered the flask in consequence of variations of temperature.
The question now arose, was this yeast, which had developed
wholly as an ordinary fungus, still capable of manifesting the
character of a ferment? To settle this point we had taken the
precaution on August 15th, 1875, of preparing another flask,
exactly similar to the preceding one in every respect, and which
gave results identical with those described. We decanted this
November 15th, pouring some wort on the deposit of the plant,
which remained in the flask. In less than five hours from the
time we placed it in the oven, the plant started fermentation in
the wort, as we could see by the bubbles of gas rising to form
patches on the surface of the liquid. We may add that yeast in
the medium which we have been discussing will not develop at all
without air.
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