Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-07-24
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Growing from = Roy,s


Tt appears that certain child of this place.
at two years of age, became afflicted with the
alp disease, and fingered on and grew, having
attained to the age of fourteen years at the
period of his death, few weeks since. During
IL period of nine months previous abcesses
were formed, and the lad was nearly reduced
to a skeleton. A day or two previous to his
death, during the night, double stem and
two flowers grew from the calf of one of his
legs. little below the knee joint. the limb
being apparently much swollen. The writer
states that hundreds of seeds were found in
the room after the boys death, similar to
those of the passion flower,v and that .'an
say the. flower resembles the passion rose, i
The attending physician. DIR. Hawley deem
ed it so wonderful as to require other wit
nesses to testify to the fact, and he accor-
dinghy called in DIR. Stevens, the Rev. Mr.. Wal,
ker and others.
This flower (fungus) grew in one night 10
the height of three and half inches, and
has since been sent TO New York, where it is
undergoing a thorough investigation, and
will no doubt be Autographed and described
by those having a better opportunity TO enter
into the minutie. - -.s--.s-
AS to the seeds like those of the passion
| fiower-it is obvious that there must be some
mistake-since it requires weeks to mature
| the pulpy fruit in which the seed is contained
and to flower the fruit in one night is alto
| gether out of the question, except in Fungi.
| | must say that to me it appears a mere
| fungus, and l have seen similar productions
| on smaller scale grow from insects. But
the pleasure of mystery is so charming, that
| one feels 10th to dispel it; and the passion
| fower'' was so named (Passihore) from being
| supposed to represent, in the appendages of
| the flower, the passion of our Savior.
| DR.. Lindley illustrates one or two species
| of spheria-one celebrated remedy among
the Chinese, much praised in Du Halde's
| book; another of larger size, che Spharia
| Robertsii, growing from large caterpillar
| of New Zealand moth, called Hepialus
virescens, The stipe grows to the length of
six or eight inches, with dense spike of spo-
rules, and side buds, spring;ng from the head
| of the caterpillar.
Dutrechet has witnessed the growth of
species of fungi (Penicillum) from globules of
milk, and every entOmologist who has suf-
tered his insects TO remain in damp place,
has to his sorrow found them covered with
fungi in short time, of which l have an
| ample collection now on hand.
Mr.. Graham attributes the rapid destruc-
ton caused by fungi amongst living tissue.
not to the mere exhaustion consequent on
their nutrition, but to the agency of dead
mycelum acting a putrefactive ferment.
Mons. Robins has published work in
French, proving the effects OF fungi on animal
structures, and showing that many cutaneous
diseases are attended with the growth of
fungi, such a. the case XtlScdrddae, Porrigo
| iIpIdsod and others.
All admit that few subjects are more OBJ
scure than the cause of the production of
| parasite fungi. The searching power of the
| microscope has failed to reveal the minute
| reproductive bodies of such fungi. Whether
| in gaseous state Ur an elementary principle,
resulting under certain conditions in their
| formation, is a matter of doubt and specula-
ton; nor will it be philosophcally known
until greater improvements are made i'll optics,
| that wonderful source which has already
revealed much that was equally mysterious to
earlier investigators
| J. STAUFFER.
| LANCASTER, July 18th. 1853.