New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-09
THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Wonders Of Microscopic Life.

/
Orleans Academy of Sciences was held las
night in their chamber, at which scientific
paper, evolving much discussion, was reaG
by DR.. S. F. Cutler, and was certainly star
! Ting in the conclusions deduced from
| twenty years of microscopic observation
! The names of these more than intinitesimal
| organisms, 1000. 900 900 of which could be
covered by the head Of pin, are as won
dertul in construction as the notes them
selves, and require the use of the Encvclo-
We will mention few. They are called
protocol, micrococos, tentrocolit, micro
cymes, and so on to the end of the list. The
popular name is the infusoria, and under
this head, though it does not accurately
describe the new description of lively
little animals, we will, for the time,
group them all. DR.. Cutler concludes
and every step OF his researches
has an erpe'1Mentum cructs to support his
views, that these little things with very
long names are found swarming in all
solids on the face of the earth, animate
and inanimate: that mOuthful OF bread
contains more Of them than an ordinary
span of life could count; that they are cast
up in fermentation Just as potatoes boil in
a pot; that they stir in thecurrents OF ali
human secretions as well as in the catame-
MIA in the milk of cow in the salt water
of tears: that they are found as well in
contluen. smallpox as in prickly heat, in the
ulcers that show bad blood, and in the
black voulit that marks the final stage of
yellow fever; that they are more than ''on
common" lively in stale fish or meat; and,
in short. it is impossible to stick pin any
where in the solid form of matter that it
will not stir up millions of these little
things to ''feats of broil and battle The
pin itself and the fingers that are too big to
hold it containing few billions only OF the
same material
The reading of the paper and the truths
it announced. fell like bombshell among
the assembled Solons of the Academy. The
deductions from the above facts are tina: ali
contagion, from whatsoever description, all
virus and poison, the malaria of tevers, and
the miasmatic influences, are conveyed by
these organisms to a certainty. Neither fire
nor acid of the most concentrated power
can destroy them-not even affect them
they are indestructible by the ordinary
agencies Of combustion, explosion or decom-
position. DR.. Cutler has found this out by
many test, and such fact is incontroverti-
bic. In shape, some Of them are turned like
slipper, others form an egg-all ale
globular or partaking of curvilinear
turn. They do not float in liquids but may
be stirred up. They sink in water, going
straight to the bottom. but no solid can be
touched that does not hold them. There
are none infec tious in the air unless they
are breathed on particle of dust, but the
nose puts a stopper on this. What the
doctor proposes to do in a subsequent paper
is to show fhe resemblance between our
planet aud the rest of mankind by mi
croscoric examination of an Hroiite to
trace the origin OF levers and kindred dis
eases on the transmission of these same lit
tie things SO small that an ordinary grain
OF sand is to them as big as the great earth
to ourselves. We will not follow the doctor
any further. He. started something this
time not raised the vaporings of scientific
twaddle but like another Moses seems to
have struck the solid truth from which the
glad waters OF intelligence and informa-
ton will Yet pour out to satisfy the world.
and percolate far as human research may
,,; I,a y i,,-i,
The members of the Academy fell to and
discussed the matter contained in the
paper when the doctor had finished and
quietly laid down the manuscript on the
big table.
Mr.. kruttschnidt stated. in regard
to tie paper OF Dr.. Cutler. some re-
markabie characteristics of a gam bOge,
whereby he explained that this substance,
when exposed to view under a microscope
OF 1000 diameters, revealed an astonishing
power of motion which he, however STYLED
as simt " "meetonical," and not Life mo-
ton. Groand fine and placed under the
microscope, no motion was observed, but
let a drop Of water be added and the
lightning the particles assuming various
shapes.
Considerable discussion took place on the
motion that the paper be published, Pro
fessor Fo:shey, backed by strong force.
holding that the paper. bein. the property
of the Academy, could not be promulgated
without consent of the society. as having its
sanction, though he could, should he so de-
sign, publish it over his own signature. The
opponents of this view advocating its publ
cation inasmuch as the authors promulga-
ton did not necessarily carry with it the in
iorsement Of the Academy; indeed, it was
not asked. The paper was finally referred
to one OF the sections" for report.
Further interesting matter was subse-
luently read, a report, strict, accurate and
particular upon the currents of old Missis-
sippi being among the number; but the
reading Of DR.. Cutters paper was the sen
saton' Of the evening.
Southern Patents.