The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-01-15

life-which only need the right soil, OF
matrix, to grow or develop. Let Il grain
of corn remain in your coat pocket-it
will stay grain of corn; but drop it in
some fertile spot of earth, and it changes
into tall plumed spike. bearing many
thousands of similar grains. The glu-
cose of the infusions is related to these
universally ditiused spores, just as the
waiting earth is to the grain of corn:
and spore which might have stayed a
spore a thousand years but for the infu-
sion, finds its divinely- adapted environ
ment. lives its life, dies its death, and
tultills its mysterious but appointed part
in the economy of nature. 1t is SO small
that it takes more than J, 900 of them,
ranged in line, to measure an inch. But
seen through a glass, in which Il hair
looks like 4 liberty pole, with alternate
branches trimmed off on either side. its
behavior is completely visible. One
spore having eaten its infinitesimal NOR
sci of glucose, it instantly becomes two:
these, in turn, appropriate their modi-
cum of glucose, and at once double: 50
that, by swift progression. the nature
of the infusion is changed-it may be
into alcohol, it may be something with
BoUNDLEss POWER FOR MISCHIEF.
to which science has not yet fitted II
name. Different forms of decaying veg
etable life seem to be adapted for the
nourishment of different kinds of fer
ments. or infusoria.
Again: If you let a little beefs blood
stand exposed to the air. an analogous
change called putrttuction takes place in
it, through the agency of still smaller
devourer, the bacterium termo-the albu-
men of the blood representing the soil.
Here is Prof. |. G.. Dalton's description
of the process: while actively grow
ing in putrefying infusion, they are i'll
constant process of multiplication by
which their numbers are rapidly in
creased. The multiplication takes place
by spontaneous division of the cell by
transverse partition which grows across
its middle. After a time the two cells
thus formed out of 4 sirSle one separate
from each other, and each repeats the
| process for ITSELF
After the destructive mites have appro-
priated every intinitesimal particle of
glucose TO be found in our animal and
vegetable solutions. each liquid becomes
clear. and layer of PARTICLES is found at
the bottom which can be frozen into 4
dormant state or boiled SO that their vi
tally is destroyed: but as a drop one
| ree-thousandth of an inch in diameter
contains one Of these tiny creatures of
God, very little of either added to its
appropriate animal or vegetable prepara-
ton. at once sets up its destructive and
transforming activity. We say dcstruc-
| tive, for our infusion, though perhaps
very good alcohol, is no longer harmless
| trcacle or grape juice; and our clarified
and transformed beers blood would con-
stitute very poor fluid to course through
the veins and build up the tissues of the
living bullock.
4 cabbage leaf thrown out at the back
door Of the ''IriShman'S shanty," grad
ually. as it decays, absorbS moisture. so
that it forms very respectable "solu-
tion; and nature will not be slow in ex-
citing the productive energies of the uni
versally dit1used germs which are only
waiting to find their appropriate environ
ment. In the dish water which rinsed
the utensils used in cooking the animal
food of the family. and which too often
is thrown out by the side of the cabbage
leaf. or into the shallowest kind of an
open drain, is found Il ready-made albu-
minous solution; not to mention the bits
and scraps which constitute soap fat.
and the permanent nuisance of the swil
barrel. which breeds it's animalcules
by THE MILLION.
This is the extreme example. but it
serves to show that human habitations.
unless vigilantly watched and vigorously
cleansed, soon become centerS for the
production of destructive microscopic
creatures. Now add to all this those
animal wastes and effete human products
which it is the great problem of high
civilization to render harmless. and we
perceive how universally diffused are the
elements which enter into the produc-
ton of bud air.
Remembering that eternal vigilance is
not only the price of liberty. but OF every
thing else that is worth the having or
worth the keeping, We see that if we
would enjoy health-;hc lack of which
renders all other blessings nugatory-we
must enter on a sleepless and tireleSs
crusade against all those denominations
that class themselves under the short
Saxon word filth.
Again, dam up stream, and form that
useful but necessary evil--a mill pond
| lou transform into comparatively stag
| nant water what was Il swiftly flowing
| river, bearing along on its current large
| quantity of earthly matters and salts,
which, experiment has demonstrated.
will soon oXygenize and dendorize and
render harmless the most offensive varie-
ties of sewage. The stagnant pond kills
all vegetable not naturally aquatic. We
once watched the slow death through
this agency of 4 huge New England elm.
| graceful enough to he the scene of a
poets dream; it took just six weeks.
In addition to the flow of water which
is arrested a multitude of other things
are caught dead plants, dead animals
and the pond itself begins to produce new
kinds of animals and vegetables under
the new conditions. Presently an unu-
sually dry-or, rs the Scotch say.
''drouthy season comes, as it is sure to
come in a long cycle of changing years.
The manufacturer draws down" his
reservoir of reserve. In place of the
clear, bright surface of the water, there
appears 4 broad. black band of oozy mud.
saturated with dead vegetable matter,
and teeming with countless myriads of
animal organisms. who. having had no
notice to quit served upon them sudden
ly find that all there is left them is to die:
and here again is provided on Il gigantic
scale our atmospheric vegetable solution
! and our albuminous animal solution