Atticus Rare Books

Memoire sur les corpuscules organises qui existent dans l'atmosphere. Examen de la doctrine des generations spontanees in Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 64, 1862 [REFUTATION OF SPONTANEOUS GENERATION]

Pasteur, Louis

Paris: Victor Masson, 1862. 1st edition of PASTEUR’S SEMINAL REFUTATION OF SPONTANEOUS GENERATION, INCLUSIVE OF “SWAN NECK” FLASK ENGRAVINGS. Pasteur's paper provided definitive experimental proof against the theory of spontaneous generation. Using famous "swan-neck" flasks, he demonstrated that airborne microscopic "corpuscles" (germs) cause spoilage and fermentation, laying the foundation for germ theory and modern microbiology.

The doctrine of spontaneous generation -- a belief that living organisms are created from inanimate matter -- was used to explain the appearance of microorganisms in decaying organic substances. The belief began with Aristotle and was taken as scientific fact for two millennia.

Delivered as a lecture in 1861 and published here in 1862, Pasteur famously disproved the doctrine by demonstrating that microorganisms did not arise spontaneously but came from pre-existing microorganisms. In understanding the import of sterilized equipment, etc., Pasteur demonstrated the possibility of culturing and studying a single microorganism in the absence of others” (Norman). He showed that microbes (atmospheric germs) exist ubiquitously in the air and that these are responsible for contamination and disease, rather than the air itself or spontaneous creation.

Pasteur's paper details the series of classic experiments with bent-necked and sealed flasks by which he proved conclusively that fermentation and putrefaction are not the products of spontaneous generation, but result from contamination by airborne micro-organisms” (ibid). His experiments used swan-necked flasks to allow air into boiled broths while trapping dust and microbes in the curved neck, thereby showing that sterile liquids remained sterile indefinitely unless exposed to those trapped microbes.

Pasteur began his studies on spontaneous generation via his interest in fermentation. "In 1860 he had completed a series of careful but simple 'Experiments relative to so-called Spontaneous Generation' ... When his conclusions were called into question by Pouchet… Pasteur [conducted] further experiments [presented here] which demonstrated beyond dispute that fermentation is caused by the actions of minute living organisms, and that if these are excluded or killed fermentation does not occur. This enabled him to explain to brewers and vintners the cause and prevention of sourness in their products. The heating process that he recommended was the earliest form of 'pasteurization'" (PMM).

Pasteur’s swan-necked culture vessels (illustrated on the engraved plate) were integral to Pasteur’s discovery. He partly filled the body of the flask with an ‘infusion’ - a nutrient rich broth -- then boiled the infusion killing any germs already present in the liquid, a process now known as pasteurization.

“Pasteur allowed the infusion to rest. Over time, he observed that the physical appearance, particularly the colour of the broth did not change. This he explained was because the germ particles in the air attempting to enter the flask had become became trapped in the s shaped bend. Therefore, they had not contaminated the liquid. Pasteur then tipped the particles into the body of the flask and observed that the microorganisms appeared in the infusion and multiplied, spoiling the infusion.

“This demonstrated that certain germ particles in the air caused the spoiling of the broth, disproving spontaneous generation – a previous leading theory of disease that claimed the air itself was to blame. From this Pasteur developed and published his germ theory of disease revealing to the world the existence of microorganisms and the role they play” (Worcester Medical Museum).

ALSO INCLUDED: Kirchhoff and Bunsen’s long spectral analysis of salts paper introduces the technique of spectroscopy as a tool for chemical analysis, work fundamental in the development of analytical chemistry and THAT marked the beginning of the application of spectroscopy to identify and analyze chemical elements. Item #1688

CONDITION: Volumes 64-66, solidly bound together in burgundy cloth; gilt-lettered at the spine; slight toning to the boards. Note: the toning on the plates in the image appear much worse than they do to the naked eye; the brightness of the scanner light does this. 14 plates, 1 colored. Ex. lib's with NO spine markings & only a stamp on the front pastedown & one on the title page. Clean. Very good condition.

Price: $1,100.00