In the meantime, while various observers were building up our knowledge of the morphology of bacteria, others were laying the foundation of what is known of the relations of these organisms to fermentation and disease - that ancient will-o'-the-wisp " spontaneous generation " being revived by the way.

Influence is a will o'the wisp but this may be Chris's greatest contribution.

Influence is a will o'the wisp but this may be Chris 's greatest contribution.

During the past century it was and even now is the very " will-o'-the-wisp " of evolution, always tending to lead the phylogenist astray.