The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-23
ABOUT OORAL.


The Greeks named coral the daughter of
the sea; and Theophrastus reckons it among
the precious stones. Pliny tells us that coral
was no less esteemed in India than were
pearls in Rome, ''it being the prevailing
taste in each nation respectively that consti-
tutes the value of things" he observes.
''Solimus informs rs, so he continues, "that
Zoroaster attributed certain mysterious pro-
perties to coral, hence it is that they equally
value it as an ornament and as an object of
devotion.
In Persia, China, and Japan coral was
priced almost as much as gold. The Gauls
in ancient times were accustomed to orna-
ment their armor with this lovely product of
the Gallo and Italian seas; but finding the
value of it as an article of expectation, it
soon became comparatively rare in the coun-
tries where it at first abounded.
Pliny describes coral as a marine plant,
bearing crimson berries; nor can we wonder
that he should have been led into this mis-
take when we find the error repeated almost
down to our own times. In 'Johnsons Die
tionary" is the following defnition:-"Coral
"a plant of as great hardness and stony
nature while growing in the water as it is
after long exposure to the air.
Coming down to the medieval age, the first
mention we have of coral is in the inventory
of Alianore de Bohun, where paternoster of
coral with gilded guadier, and three branches
of coral, are among the list of valuables.
Quite as many superstitious beliefs were then
attached to this supposed submarine plant as
in more remote period. Reginald Scot in
his "Discoverie of Witchcraft, tells us that
''the coral preserveth such as wear it from
fascination or bewitching and in this respect
they are hanged about children's necks." Plat,
in his "Jewel House of Nature repeats the
same story, adding that it preserves from the
falling sickness. 'Tt hath also some special
sympathy with nature" he continues, ''for
the best coral being worn about the neck will
turn pale and wan if the party that wears it
be sick, and comes to its former color again
as they recover health.
In 100 Eournefort described coral as q
plant; and Reaumur declared it as his opinion,
but slightly differing from former naturalists,
that it was the stony product of marine
plants. The Count dill Marsigi went step
further, and not only asserted the vegetable
nature of coral but declared that he had seen
its flowers, In his work LA Physique de la
Mer, he gives a representation of these sea
blossoms, thus. setting the question at rest
forever, as he supposed. Others, however,
were not quite SO well satisfied; and Jean
Andre de Peyssonel, a student of medicine
and natural history, was deputed by the
French Academic des Sciences to make further
observations in elucidation of this interest
ing subject. He began his examinations first
III tho ol anu GOu-
tinued them on the north coast of Africa. At
last, after long, exact, and delicate observa-
ton, he came to the conclusion that the
Count di N1arsigli's flowers were animals, and
demonstrated that the coral was no plant, but
the product of a colony of polypi Let him
describe his experiment in his own words: =
81 put the flower of the coral in vases full
of sea- water, and I saw that what had been
taken for the flower of this pretended plant
was, in truth, only an insect like little sea-
nettle Oh polype. had the pleasure of see-
ing move the claws or feet of the creature;
and having put the vase full of water which
contained the coral in gentle heat over the
fire, all the small insects seemed to expand.
The polype extended his feet and formed
what nj. di Marsigli and had taken for the
petals of a flower The calyx of this pre-
tended flower, in short was the animal,
which advanced and issued out of its she'll"
But after all Peyssonels labors he received
neither reward nor thanks for his discovery;
it was ridiculed by Reaumur and Bernard de
Jussieu, as something quite unworthy of
credit; and poor Peyssonel, meeting with
nothing but skepticism and neglect-for his
papers were not even printed-in return for
his laborious Investigations, abandoned the
subject in disgust and departed for the An
titles in the capacity of naval surgeon. Peys-
sonel was allowed to continue in the obscurity
to which he had retired; but many years had
not passed before both Reaumur and De
Jussieu were obliged to retract their former
opinion, and to acknowledge that after all
Peyssonels theory was correct. The Arg0Sy.