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We may here say a few words respecting M. Bechamp's claim to priority of discovery. It is a well-known fact that we were the first to demonstrate that living ferments might be completely developed if their germs were placed in pure water together with sugar, ammonia, and phosphates.
A brisk effervescence ensues, and to moderate the increase of temperature which is caused by the reaction, it is found necessary to cool the retort. Instead of acetic acid hydrochloric acid has been a good deal used, with, it is said, certain advantageous results. From 60 to 65 per cent. of aniline on the quantity of nitrobenzene used, is yielded by Béchamp's process.
The process generally used is that known as Béchamp's, with slight modifications. Equal volumes of nitrobenzene and acetic acid, together with a quantity of iron-filings rather in excess of the weight of the nitrobenzene, are placed in a capacious retort.
In that work we established for the first time that the lactic ferment is a living, organized being, that albuminous substances have no share in the production of fermentation, and that they only serve as the food of the ferment. M. Bechamp's note was even subsequent to our first work on alcoholic fermentation, which appeared on December 21st, 1857.
Relying on this established fact, that moulds are capable of development in sweetened water in which, according to M. Bechamp, they invert the sugar, our author asserts that he has proved that "living organized ferments may originate in media which contain no albuminous substances." M. Bechamp's first note on the inversion of sugar was published in 1855.
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