Page 140 - Ethel D. Hume - Bešam ili Paster: Izgubljeno poglavlje u istoriji biologije

NATURE'S EXPERIMENTS 137

In another Mexican Agave, the blackened and frozen part
of the leaf did not contain any microzymas, but only small
bacteria and some longer varieties measuring from
0.008 mm. to 0.02 mm. In the healthy parts, the micro-
zymas were normal, but in proportion as the frozen parts
were approached, the microzymas were seen to be
modified in shape and size.
A fifth illustration was a Datura Suaveolens, in which the
ends of the branches were frozen. Under the epidermis, as
well as deep below, were clouds of bacterium termo, some
rare bacterium volutans and some large bacteria measuring
from 0.03 mm. to 0.04 mm. There were also long crystal-
line needles terminating in spindles of 0.05 mm. to
0.10 mm., which were motionless and not to be found in
the healthy parts. The frozen and withered portions had,
all the same, remained green.
Through these and many other observations, Bechamp
became convinced that the microzymas of the plant
world have great aptitude for developing into bacteria.
But as he never jumped to conclusions, he took the utmost
care to make perfectly sure that no inoculation of ex-
traneous organisms could in any way be responsible.
1
A year later, an Echinocactus Rucarinus supplied him with
an interesting example of the absence of bacteria when
their entry from without appeared likely to be facilitated,
and thus he seemed to be afforded more proof of his theory
that nutritive trouble or a change of environment, like
that brought about by frost, may occasion a natural
development of internal inherent microzymas.
He happened to enter a conservatory in the Montpellier
Botanical Gardens, where he noticed an Echinocactus,
which in so many ways reminded him of the one he had
examined a year before that it seemed as though this one
must also have been frost-bitten. He questioned the
gardener, who explained that the roots had rotted owing
to the plant having been over-watered. Here again was a
subject for the persevering student of Nature. We may be
1
Les Microzymas, p. 144.