The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-03-21
Anecdotes OF the Microscope.

pies the blue armament with myriad
worlds, is not more wonderful than the
little microscope, which reveals "thc
grand immensity of littleness." When it
came into mans possession, it was as
though second Columbus had appeared,
announcing the existence of new world
and not one merely The microscope re-
veals in a single drop of water, a globe,
peopled, according TO Ehrenberg, with
five hundred millions of living creatures,
different from anything which man has
ever seen before. 1t shows us every bit
Of clay and stone, every leaf and bud and
flower, world crowded with busy multi
tudes The substance of these animacu-
lac is usually SO transparent that the
internal structure is visiDle-evcn the act
of digestion can be watched, and the food
traced from its mouth to its passage from
the internal cavities. The eggs can also
be seen within the bodies Thus the mi
croscope has silently ovcrthrown mans
theories for the explanation OF vital phen-
omena, and has furnished materials for
their true elucilation.
The microscope teaches man the struc-
ture of trees, and the uses they best serve in
the affairs of life. BY it he learns the
elements entering into particular soils, and
is enabled to supply those fertilizers neces-
sary to the production of the desired crop
The accuracy with which the microscope
detects counterfeit bills and forged man
uscripts, adultcrations in foods and liquor
render this instrument valuable ally Of
justice
To the physician this is an invaluable
assistant. 1t explains why the blood Of
one animal injected into the system Of
another Of the same species, dying from
loss of blood, is successful, while that from
another species misor"nlv fails. 1t en-
abIes him TO procure ZOO md medicines
for his patients, pointing with unerring
accuracy to any adulteration they may
contain. 1t teaches him the nature of
cutaneous diseases, and surface protuber-
anccs. DIR. Andrew Clarke, after having
carefully studied >puta from the appear
ancc OF patients under his care, says that
'thc microscopic inspection Of expcctora-
ton affords at very early period Of CON
sumption, definite information, not other
wise attainablc, regarding the nature OF
the malady; and at all times must fur
nsh valuable aid in forming a prognosis
regarding the causes OF the complaint"
But we are wandering from the design
of this paper Which is to present few
anecdotes, collected from various sources,
illustrating the Importance and power of
/ tGe microscopc.
While the great Prussian microscopist,
Ehrenberg, was travelling through India,
he fell in;o conversation with Brah-
min, whose religious faith forbade him
taking life of any kind, or eating of that
which even possessed life. Ehrcnberg
wishing TO demonstrate the abSurdity of
his belief, exhibited by the microscope
the world of animacule life contained in
single drop OF water.
"Aas," sail the poor Brahmin in des-
pair, ''you have destroyed my happiness,
and my life also for | see now that |
shall never be able to drink and must per-
ish of thirst"
Ehrcnbcrg answered him by showing
that single drop of rum poured into a
tumbler of water caused all the animalcu-
ln to precipitate themselves to the bottom
of the glass. | trust the solution of his
perplcXity did not lead the Brahmin into
habits of intempcran,e.
In connection with this celebrated mi
croscopist, the following curious article is
related
"Some years since, in England, barrels
containing gold-duSt were emptied of
their contents and filled with sand. The
party robbed, not being entirely satisfied
with the exchange, submitted the case to
the microscopic, Ehrenberg. The latter
by examining with the microscope spec-
ment of sand from the several stations on
that part of the road where the barrels
trayersed, was enabled by the peculiar
tiles of its appearance TO designate the
places at which the barrels had been fill
led. The officers OF justice were thus put
npon the right track, and the thieves c1p-
tured."
In our own country, not many years
since, most curious and interesting case
of murder was decided by this wonderful
and silent witness.
The individual toward whom the whole
circumstanlial evidence was pointing as
the gully man, claimed that the blood
stains On the knife acknowledged TO be
his property were from lamb he had
killed the day before. The microscope
was brought to bear upon the instrument
/ by men known to be ignorant of the cir
cumstances of the case. The blood-stains
were not only found to be those of hui
man being, but the microscope revealed
the blade what had been impercepti-
bHto the naked eve, a secretion peculiar
to the glands of the throat. Stranger
still, it pointed to cotton fbres on the
blade of the instrument. FIhe knife, 4"
said the microscopists in their report,
"has been used in cutting through cotton
into the neck of human being" Now
listen, and wonder at the power of this
wonderful, silent witness The murdered
man had been found with his throat cut
through the neckband of his cotton shirt.
The evidence was as conclusive as though
a voice from the clouds had proclaimed:
"rhou art the man.
A few years ago, a man under trial in
/ Western New York asserted that blood