154 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
British birds, the Rev. A. W. Rowe's collection of flint implements found in Essex,
and some Roman and British remains, including a very fine amphora found at
Heybridge. Short addresses on the many objects of interest were given by Mr.
Durrant, Mr. Fitch, Mr. Chancellor, Mr. Crouch, Mr. Meggy, Mr. Mothersole
(who exhibited a number of worked flints found near Chelmsford), Mr. Christy,
Mr. Wire and others.
Tea was taken at the "Saracen's Head" Hotel, and afterwards the 98th Ordinary
Meeting of the Club was held, Mr. E. A. Fitch, President, in the chair. The
following were elected members : Mrs. Scarf, Miss Gibbs, Messrs. J. C. Freeman,
J. W. Odling, and W. A. Voss.
Dr. A. H. Downes delivered a short lecture upon Bacteria, illustrating his
remarks by a number of microscopical preparations, and some very beautiful
''cultures" on jelly in test tubes of various forms of Bacteria. Dr. Downes pointed
out that the knowledge of these organisms was quite an affair of the present
generation. If they looked into encyclopaedias or dictionaries of 25 years ago
they would find nothing about them. It was not that they had not been known
for some time, for they were seen under a microscope 200 years ago, but it was
only in our time that we have come to recognize their connection with the
processes of diseases, fermentation, and other economies of nature. What were
Bacteria ? The first observers thought they were animalcula because they moved,
but that test does not hold good now ; there were animals that did not move, and
vegetables that did. They had therefore to look for other evidence, and they
found a remarkable feature in the fact that these organisms could manufacture
cellulose from their food, a substance which was almost confined to the vege-
table kingdom. From considerations of their mode of reproduction, Bacteria
had been classed with the algae. But they could not draw any fast line between
the algae and fungi, and as both probably originally developed from one parent
stock, it was not impossible that Bacteria represented that original stock. When
they attempted to classify the various forms of Bacteria they got into greater
difficulties still, and in fact not enough was known of their biology to form the
basis of a scientific classification. All classifications were of a provisional kind,
and the result was that they had as many classifications as they had observers.
The action of the growth of Bacteria in relation to other organisms was a problem
of the utmost importance. The popular idea was that Bacteria were all harmful,
but Dr. Downes said that very many of them were harmless, and possibly the
majority were useful. If it were not for these little organisms and their allies the
earth would become a barren waste, with no signs of life beyond the withered carcases
of its last inhabitants. Until about 8 or 9 years ago it was impossible to grow one
particular kind of Bacteria by itself, but Dr. Koch, of Berlin, had succeeded in
separating them ; and observers were now enabled to cultivate them with ease.
Dr. Downes pointed out the peculiarities of the various forms of Bacteria exhibited
by him, and gave some hints on the best modes of studying these organisms.
Professor Meldola spoke upon the growing importance of this branch of study.
He said there was a considerable amount of doubt as to whether these organisms
were really the cause of disease at all, or whether disease was caused by certain
specific chemical products which the Bacteria gave off as the result of their vital
activity.
Dr. Downes said no doubt the product of the organisms played a very impor-
tant part in disease, but on the other hand, there was no doubt that the Bacteria
themselves must be introduced into the blood ; and if they filtered out the Bacteria