Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-16
Aerial Inhabitants.

bottom OF which we mortaib nouuueI
about, contains more than is dreamed Of
in their philosophy. The old spelling
book exercises, birds live in the ear, !"
"Fish live in the sea," would be the
substance of their replies, If questioned
as to the living things which inhsbit air
and ocean. But the air 10 the home OF
immense numbers of living things which
the unaided eye cannot perceive, as well
as the festhered and insect races This
vital fluid, without which we cannot
ordinarily live five minutes, is literally
crowded with life; life in an embryotic
state, il is true, but none the less life on
that account.
An egg is living thing; If you touch
your tongue to the ends of newly laid
egg, you will find that one end is quite
warm, while the other may be quite cold.
So long as that heat remains the egg 10
alivc--an organized photographic un-
der favorable circums stances of develop
ment into bird of the species which de-
posted it. When that vital spark of
heat is gone the egg is dead and will i'm
mediate.y decay. The seeds of plants
are analogous to the eggs Of birds,
although after they are dead and incapa-
BILE of termination, they will not decay so
rapidly.
There is another class of germs Of
still lower order than vegetables seeds.
These are minute granules, parts Of
fowerless plants, which perform the func-
tons of seeds, called spores. A good
example of spores is to be found upon
the under sides of the fronds of ferns, at
the proper season. Spores are not so
highly organized as the seeds of flower
ing plants, but they contain q vitality
which, although of q lower type, is
longer retained. To fact it is not i'm
probable that some of them retain their
power of termination for ages, only
waiting for favorable circumstances to
become developed into complete growth:
The air has been sscertained to be full
of such germs, which, blown about by the
winds, lodged in crevices of stones in
high buildings and tall cliffs, taken into
the stomachs of animals with their food,
or inhaled with their breath, beaten to
the earth with rains to rise again in the
form of impalpable dust, ct length find
proper indus in which they speedily de-
velop into maturity.
Some of these when breathed, or other
wise taken into the system, pass into the |
blood and produce disease. A large
class of diseases are now attributed to |
this cause Among them is the fever |
and sgue," the pestilence of new aud
low lands. The disease has lately been
attributed, by good authority, to the
presence of microscopic slgea in the
blood
SO plentiful are these germs existing
in innumeraAle forms and variety in the
atmosphere, that Drs. Smith and Dancer,
of Manchester, England, found that there
was a quarter of a million spores in a
single drop of distilled water which had
been agitated in contact with the COM
mon air of that locality in bottle. What
myriads upon myriads of these tiny
beings must be precipitated upon the
earth during q storm of rain.
The microscope, that wonderful eye
which science has bestowed upon man
kind reveals to US these curious facts;
and what it's ultimate effect upon the
sciences at large and medicine in par
ticular, is to be, it is impossible to pre-
dict The telescope is penetrating deeper
and deeper into the celestial vault, and
constantly telling us new wonders of the
uulfCfot. l. uC tniCtOoC0Po Oh thO |
contrary is dragging to light minute ex-
istences that have lain hidden for ages,
and is tracing their influences upon the
health of mankind. The army of work.
ers with this most fascinating and in
structive instrument is daily increasing,
and food of light is beginning to pour
upon many things hitherto most mys.
terious.-Scientifc american.
An Awful Lie.
Nashville Cor. of the Cincinnati Commercial
A few days since, while was pricing
some books at an extensive house in this
city, a very black negro came in and be-
gan turning over the leaves of some law
books in very familiar manner. He
was stability dressed, and to see him
evidently taking such an interest in the
dry technicslties of the law was novelty
itself, for there was nothing in bis look ,
or his dress to distinguish him from a
coal-heaver or boot-black. The book
seller and myself stood looking at him in
blank establishment for some moments,
but he paid no attention to us, and con.
tinued to glance over the pages and
handle the books with as much famil-
iariiy as would an old librarian.
e Something ! o Coz: &C &c .c- ION to-day !
sir 2" asked the bookseller, in tone :
which plainly showed that be didn't know
what else to say.
"Yes, sir; want to buy q bill Of law
books, if we can agree on the price" an
swered the black mystery, as he laid
Story on the Constitution to one side.
"A bill of law books" exclaimed the
vender Of literature in establishment. "a I
bill of law books; who for, prayr .
For myself
"For yourself2 What do you want
with them p ,
~ want to read EN-, and look up su.
thority 10 several important cases which
] have"
By this time was net astonished, for !
had no capacity left for the article, but /
evidently the gentlemanly clerk" was
very much nonplussed, for he was silent
for the space of a minute. Then be got
the use Of his tongue, and proceeded to
sell the gentleman from Africa such
books as he desired.
Are you q lswyerT asked. ,
Yes, sir; that is my profession"
How long have you been practicingT
"Oely a few months"
"Do YOU get much business 2"
"All can do"
In what courts do you practice p
Well, / practice in all the msgis-
irstes' courts, the county court, and be- !
fore the United States commissioner. :
ion't practice in the criminal court, be- !
cause il don'tpsy A man that's in jail 4
lss generally got nothing to pay a law. {
yer with"
do You practice altogether for the y