Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-02-25

hioio PlnloSopnlCal Toy, owing 10 tne ulS-
lance which the light had to traverse, and
the consequent increase of the chromatic
and spherical alteration and so impossible
did 1T appear to overcome this difficulty that,
within thirty years ofthe present period, phi
losophers of no less eminence than M. Blot
and DIR. Wolaston predicted that the COM
pound would never rival the simple micro
scope, and that the idea of rendering its OBJ
ject-g asses achromatic was hopeless. Nor
can these opinions be wondered at, when we
consider how long the achromatic telescope
had existed without any attempt to apply its
principles to the compound microscope
And if we recollect further the smallness of
the pencil required by the microscope, and
the enormous increase of difficulty attending
every enlargement of the pencil five con-
slider further that these difficulties had to be
contended with and removed, by operations
on portions of glass so small that they were
themselves almost microscopic objects we
shall not be surprised that even cautious
philosopher and able manipulation like DR..
Wollaston should prescribe limits to its i'm
provement.
Such is the picture with which we are
presented if we inquire into the use of the
microscope thirty years since. Fortunately,
however, for science generally, these appre-
tensions of Wollaston have proved false
undeterred by the assertion of authorities of
such eminence, philosophers and opticians
have conformity devoted their energies to
task at first apparently so hopeless, the re-
suit OF which has been that the improve
ments thus effected during the last fifteen
years have sulficed to elevate the microscope
from the useless condition we have descrb-
ed to that of being the most important in
strument ever bestowed by art upon the in
vestigator of nature In almost every de-
partment of science are we indebted to it
for the extension of our knowledge, and the
verlhcation ofprevious observation. To the
chemist it is of utility in the examination of
crystals, and the determination of their an
gles--to the pharmacist, in the detection of
the adulteration of drugs. The physiolo-
gist may ascertain the intimate structure of
organic tissues in their normal, the patholo-
glst in their abnormal state the physician
may obtain conclusive and satisfactory evil
dence regarding the nature and seat of dis
ease by the examination of secretons or ex-
cretions of diseased organs, while, in medi-
co-legal inquiries, the microscope again
comes to our aid in detecting the murderer,
and rendering him back the poison, grain for
grain. To it, recently, has geology been
greatly indebted in the hands of an Owen
and a Mantell the microscope becomes an
instrument of magic power, by means of
which, from the inspection of portion on
y of a bone or TOOTH the habits of the ami
NAL to which it belonged are decided the
colossal reptiles of the ancient earth are re-
vived in all the reality of life and being, and
the early formations of our globe decked
with their former inhabitants and the vepe-
tation which clothed them long ere man
moved, and breathed, and had his being"
But perhaps in the departments of bota-
ny and zoology have the most extensive dis
coyeries been effected by this instrument A
new world of microscopic life, previously
unknown and unsupported, has been disclos-
ed, whose extent and wonders naturally ex-
cite in the human mind unbounded aston
lshment, and increase our reverence for the
Great Creator, who, in the organization of
these beings of day, displays designs as ex-
tenslve, and adaptatism as complete, as in the
structure of man himself An extract from
the opening remarks of one of the works
before us will convey some faint idea of this
microscopic world
Wherever we turn, within the precincts
of own homes, in meadow or moorand, hill
or forest, by the lone sea-shore or amidst
crumbling runs-fresh objects of interest
are constantly to be found; plants and ami
mails unknown to our unaided vision, with
minute organs perfectly adapted to their ne
cessties; with appetites as keen, enjoyments
as perfect, as our own. In the purest waters,
as well as in thick, acid, and saline fluids, OF
the most Indifferent climates,-in springs,
rivers, lakes, and eas,-oiten in the inter-
nal humidity of living plants and animals,
may, probably, carried about in the aque-
Gus vapours and dust of the whole atmos-
phere, there is a world of minute, living,
organized beings, imperceptible to the ordi-
nary senses of man. In the daily course OF
life, this immense mysterious kingdom ofdi-
minutive living beings is unnoticed and dis
regarded but it appears great and aston
ishing, beyond all expectation, to the retired
observer who views it by the aid of the mic
roscope. In every drop of standing water,
he very frequently, though not always, sees
by its aid rapidly -moving bodies, from l-96
to less than 10000 of a line in diameter,
which are often so crowded together, that the
intervals between them are less than their
diameter. If we assume the size of the drop
of water to be one cubic line, and the inter-
walls, though they are often smaller, to be
equal to the diameter of the bodies, we may
easily calculate, without exaggeratlon, that
such drop is inhabited by from 100 900 to
100 thousand millions of such animalcules
in fact we must come to the conclusion, that
a single drop of water, under such circum-
T stances, contains more inhabitants than there
are individuals of the human race upon our
planet. If, further, we reflect on the amount
of life in large quantity of water, in ditch
or pond, for example,-or if we calculate
that, according to many observers of the sea,
) and especially of its phosphorescence, vast
tracts of the ocean periodically exhibit SIM
t liar development of masses OF microscopic
organized bodies,-even if we assure much
greater intervals-we have numbers and re-
lations of creatures living on the earth, in
visible to the naked eye, at the very though,
of which the mind is lost in wonder and adj
miration. 1t is the microscope alone which
has enabled close observers of nature to I'M
{ veil such a world fher diminutive creation
lust as it was the art of making good tele