62 Notes on Mr. Cross's Acarus. 



This simple globule, though, in the scale of organization, 

 infinitely below the Acarus of Mr. Cross, would be more than 

 sufficient to excite, in the highest degree, the admiration of 

 physiologists and philosophers, or probably might still give 

 rise to fresh doubts. 



In producing his animal, Mr. Cross is far from having had 

 the merit of priority of invention, but he has at least that of 

 fixing most accurately, the object of his creation, in designa- 

 ting it by the name of Acarus^ and in shewing us its nature. 

 It is to be regretted, that the first production of a source so 

 new and unlooked for, should have been one of the ugliest 

 forms of the animal creation. But let us wait, since this is 

 but a beginning. 



The author of a well- written work on a similar subject,* 

 has also told us of a crowd of animals and vegetables manu- 

 factured by himself, and by simple chemical means. It is 

 true that he has not displayed his productions, (we mean to 

 men capable of appreciating them as naturalists), and that he 

 has confined himself in speaking of them, to such vague terms 

 as hazard little, but which, consequently, inspire no confi- 

 dence. There were some beings among them which resem- 

 bled lobsters, spiders, leeches, gnats flying with % two spreading 

 wings, and others which were but rough-hewn attempts at 

 insects, some of them wanting a head, and others, legs. 



When any one has the rare good fortune to make, or to en- 

 joy the exclusive privilege of making, such astonishing dis- 

 coveries, he should first make sure that he is wide awake, and 

 then have resolution to be silent on the subject, until select 

 and competent persons have verified and established the facts 

 by their own observations. By such a course, in the pursuit 

 of the positive knowledge attainable by man, how many ab- 

 surdities might be avoided, which, when once introduced into 

 science, cling to it in such a manner as renders ages necessary 

 to effect their removal. 



[We do not think that M. Turpin has handled his subject, at least so 

 much of it as relates to the "pretended origin of the microscopic spider," in 

 the most philosophical manner ; and we dislike exceedingly the spirit in 

 which his critical observations are written. By his own admission it ap- 

 pears that he has not perused Mr. Cross's history of the matter, and he has 

 therefore, in a most unwarrantable manner, identified that gentleman with 

 the ideas promulgated concerning the mysterious origin of the Acarus. — 

 We believe Mr. Cross to have acted in the most open and straightforward 

 manner, in this business ; having simply stated the conditions under which 

 these Acari made their appearance, without in the least pretending to say, 

 that he could at any time produce them by the agency of electricity. Ed.] 



*I. B. Fray; "Essai sur l'origine des corps organises et inorganises." 

 1817. 



