Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-03-25
THE MICROSCOPE AND IT'S
REVELATIONS.
From the Westminster Review.


BUT few words more are necessary to
complete our summary of the habits and Pc
culiarities of the Infusoria. We have al
ready seen that they have been observed in
all the four quarters of the world--that vast
bodies of water are tinged by these animal
cules-and that even the phosphorescence
the sea is owing to their presence. We have
found, too, that the accumulations of i'm
mense masses of fossil Infusoria form mould
and various species ofrock; on this subject
Ehrenberg observes, that We can make
glass out of Invisible Infusoria with lime or
Soda can manufacture floating bricks out
of them, use them as fints, probably make
iron out of them, polish silver with them as
trlpoli, as ochre; manure with them as mud
and mould, and, with mountain -four COM
posed of them allay the cravings of hum
ger" Many and probably all, white chalk
rocks are the produce of microscopic ami
malcules, which are for the most part quite
invisible to the naked eye, possessing calca,
reous shells, of which more than one million
are well preserved in each cubic inch that
is, much more than ten millions in one pound
of chalk. The extreme minuteness of thes e
chalk animalcules is strikingly proved by tn e
fact, that even in the finest levigated whitin' 7,
multitudes ofthem are still present, and m; ~
be applied without suffering change to tt
most varied purposes thus, in the chal k
coating given to painted chambers, or evel
glazed visiting cards (when not coated will /
white lead alone,) may be seen pretty mo =
sale of well preserved moss-coral animal.
cules, invisible TO the naked eye; and thus
our natural vision receives from such a sur. O..
Al, e. h,,
tie dreaming that it contains the bodies OF
millions of beings which once enjoyed life
beings of varied and beautiful forms, more
or less closely crowded together. Linneus
said, All lime comes from worms" (omnis
cair UermibuS). Now, we are led to think,
whether all flint and all iron-consequently
the three principal component parts of the
earth--do not come from animalcules ON
MS Siie1, OmRe ferrum, UermibaS, cannot at
present, with proprlety, be affirmed or deni-
ed, and must remain for more special inves-
legations to decide.
The Infusoria, like the higher animals,
perish from sudden transitions of tempera-
ture. They die in ice but when the water
! first congeals, each animalcule is surround
ed by moist space, caused by the caloric
liberated by its own body. Heat instanta-
neously kills infusory nimalcules-eggs and
animals equally perish Several species are
nevertheless capable of supporting tenn
perature of from As deg. to so deg. Reau-
muir (nearly l40 deg. Fahrenheit). Heat is
less hurtful when it takes place gradually /;
light is favorable to their production, but it
is not necessary for they are even found in
deep mines. Atmospheric air is essential
to the existence of the Iniusoria, especially
the Rotatoria. They are killed by substan-
ces which affect the chemical composition
of the water but the strongest poisons, If
only in mechanical suspension in the fiuid,
exert no influence upon them. Fresh-water
species instantly die if sea-water be sudden
ly added, though the latter swarm with ma
rine species but they survive II the mixture
be gradual, and many kinds inhablt brack-
ish waters. Many of the lnfusoria are car
nivorous, feeding on those species more in
fnitesimal than themselves; others are her.
bvorous, and are nourished by particles of
decomposed vegetables too minute to be Wis
ible till accumulated in the internal organs
of the animalcules. The duration of life in
these animals varies from few hours to sew
eral days or even weeks some Rotifera
have been traced to the seventy-third day of
their existence. Their dissolution usually
takes place suddenly, but in some ofthe lar
ger species microscopists have observed vi
client throes and conyulsve struggles as at
tending their death The soft parts rapidly
undergo decomposition, and il is remarka-
BILE fact that, under such circumstances, but
!, very small proportion Of solid matter re-