Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-21
TO THE EDITORS.

TO THE EDITORS
RocKLAND, (MD) MO. II, 1862.
Friends GALES SEAToN The interesting article in the
Inteigencer Of the 9th instant the development Of in
sect life is highly calculated to arrest attention The
startling announcement that living insects had been pro-
duced by artificial means, from ingredients in which
germs could be suspected to have previously exist
ed will now when originally made by Crosse some six
years ago. naturally be received with less dis
trust and lead to close examination Of the consistency
Of the facts thus disclosed with those already in pos
session in relation to the organic world The idea
tanned by some writer's, that the experiment Of Crosse
tends to exclude the agency Of Deity creation, Is
tenabie because it is his agent acting by laws that he
has himself impaired it, the of producing
the result q God il spisis he operates upon
ter BY the - with shssa+a las endowed it, and the
agenia heat eieotricity,&c, With which it is always
connected These laws and agents may be regarded.4s
the tools with which matter is and doubt alwayshas
been, operated upon by the Creator d by which his
wise and important purposes have been effected in both
the inorganic and organic world. Every germ of animal
vegetable life is found, by microscopic examination and
analysis to be single cell, composed of few simple in
organic elements mysterousy held together by what is
denomnated the vital principle The simple elements
forming these embryo cells Of germs principally,
not entirely carbon hydrogen oxygen and nitrogen and
the combining principle not identical with, is very
much modified by, electricity galvanism.
We find recently elected lava sea-sand disintegrated
rocks earth from depth however great when placed in
favorable situations teemng with vegetables and
animals and the general conclusion seems to be forced
upon that wherever circumstances favorable to
animal vegetable existence there will vegetables
animals arise either by the immediate exercise of
tive energy through its ordained agents. the universal
diffusion Of embryotc matter But f all instances these
the result of the wisdom and the power of the First
Great Cause of oil things Man may, not mprobably,
possess the of modifying the circumstances connect
ed with the Development which is all that is claimed for
Crosse by your intelligent correspondent.
There then appears to my mind difficulty in this part
of the question: and it remains examine how far the
facts stated agree with what is already known regard
to the development and growth of organic bodies Here
greater difficulties present themselves and offer those
that have forcby occurred me- in the hope that they
may lead to fuller inquiries and experiments.
In the reor in which the insects are said to have been
developed by Crosse potash silica, and distilled
water only* The constituent elements of these three
substances potassium silicon, hydrogen, and oxygen
But to the formation Of all animal tissue nitrogen and
carbon are believed to be indispensable. could
suppose these to have been supplied by atmospheric
existing in that part of the occupied by the
solution another difficulty presents itself No inorganic
~ 10 peieNeu, Is useu tW7nedsdey
growth but is always employed in what chemists call its
Hasco afe that IS at the instant Of being separated
ss7s ROD essbsss aed saa Sss 10y y s moi Sras
discoveries of Baron Lebig that they obtain their
nitrogen by the decomp Of ammonia. Animals
qure for their support matter that has undergone previous
organization and sustained only by vegetable food,
animals that previously lived upon vegetables Hence
the of insects instnctvey deposited such
getabes adapted the nourshment of the larv
and the germs Of all animals require for development
supply of organic matter But in the experiments Of
Crosse the animal appears to have been nourshed per-
feet development by elements uom any previous orgdniza
on and, respects the nitrogen, if employed at all,
cithom prerious combination Could the agency Of
electricity in these experiments have modified the
bning tendency Of the nitrogen to have caused it to
pass Immediately into the organic structure the electric
pole performing the Office Of the opposite element in the
synthetic process Professor Faraday and others have
shown it sometimes does in the analytic? Or the
operator deceived From all yet know of the process
given the discrepancies between Crosses experiment and
facts appear be great that if
such thing possible wh ezperimenter,
would be led to the conclusion that he had mistaken
the unduatons attending the process of capitalization
for the muscular action of living beings and irregular
crystals for animals The subject is however, well wor-
thy of further attention. and have doubt by the pub
caton referred to, you have obliged and interested many
Of your readers you have certainly done your sincere
friend, BENJAMIN HALLOwELL