Soon after he turned to the research on putrefaction and fermentation, which was published in 1843.
The debate reflected the fact that a number of investigators had observed connections between putrefaction and fermentation and life processes.
They argued that germs were a peculiar sort of chemical agent that played the role of independent biochemical agents in processes of fermentation and putrefaction.
It had been shown that the same means of destroying the growth of microorganisms (through heat or chemicals) often inhibited putrefaction and fermentation as well.
Thus, the putrefaction that he observed to occur did very probably result from the presence of living beings of very small magnitude.
The research on putrefaction and fermentation took place in a context layered with contested issues.
Put simply, there were two different views about the "organic" status of putrefaction and fer mentation.
He showed that fermentation does indeed seem to require organisms, yeast cells, and that putrefaction is very closely tied with the dynamics of such processes.
