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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Paper, 'On the action of sunlight on microorganisms &c. with a demonstration of the influence of diffused light' by Arthur Downes

Reference number: PP/8/2

Date: 1885

Description

Downes writes: 'Eight years ago, conjointly with my friend Mr [Thomas P] Blunt, I communicated to the Royal Society an account of an experimental inquiry into the action of sunlight on the micro-organisms of putrefaction and decay ['On the influence of light upon protoplasm', Proceedings of the Royal Society, volume 28]. We adduced evidence, conclusive in our opinion, that the solar rays were very hostile to these lowly forms of life; so much so that under favourable conditions bright sunlight, sufficiently prolonged, would altogether prevent their appearance in fluids which, under similar conditions of temperature and the like, but screened from light, swarmed in a very few days with countless saprophytes. By means of suitable absorptive media, we learned that the most active rays were those of the more refrangible end of the spectrum.'

Annotations in pencil and ink.

Subject: Microbiology / Bacteriology

Received 9 December 1885. Read 14 January 1885. Communicated by [John] Marshall.

A version of this paper was published in volume 40 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the action of sunlight on micro-organisms, &c., with a demonstration of the influence of diffused light'.

Reference number
PP/8/2
Earliest possible date
1885
Physical description
Ink and graphite pencil on paper
Page extent
12 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Arthur Downes

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Citation

Arthur Downes, Paper, 'On the action of sunlight on microorganisms &c. with a demonstration of the influence of diffused light' by Arthur Downes, 1885, PP/8/2, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_8_2/paper-on-the-action-of-sunlight-on-microorganisms-c-with-a-demonstration-of-the-influence-of-diffused-light-by-arthur-downes, accessed on 02 December 2024

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_8_2/paper-on-the-action-of-sunlight-on-microorganisms-c-with-a-demonstration-of-the-influence-of-diffused-light-by-arthur-downes

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  • Proceedings Papers

    Dates: 1882 - 1894

    The archival collection known as 'Proceedings Papers' is comprised of manuscripts and occasional proofs of scientific papers sent to the Royal Society which were read before meetings of Fellows and printed in full in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

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