The Relation of Science and Religion.pdf - Online Christian Library

54 SCIENCE AND RELrGfON.without exposure to the air, after the boilingprocess was over. When added in this way,"the liquor potassae had not any power toexcite germination:'' the expectation that acertain mixture of acid and alkali wouldoriginate life was disappointed; all the earlierexperiments were discredited. Still, someclung to their expressed belief, for there is aprejudice of advanced thought, as there isa prejudice of old beliefs. Tenacity of avowedopinion, with strong love of research, prolongedthe inquiry, and led to more decidedevidence.The controversy was conducted by Dr. Robertsagainst Dr. Bastian, while all the experimentsof Professor Tyndall were convergingupon the same conclusions as those reachedby Roberts.* That Bastian had obtained bacteriaafter boiling, admitted of no doubt, andhe naturally clung to this fact as encouraging;others regarded it as only misleading. Bastianmaintained that the allrali had a positivepower of originating life, and stated one hundredand twenty-two degrees Fahr. as favorableto the appearance of life. Roberts tookten examples of sterilized urine, and twenty-* Nature vol. xv. p. 303, and Appendix IL