[g] c. zimmermann: microscopia vegetal 67 



oft" írom a remote world. The man who had often pondered 

 over the movements of the transparent matter of an amoeba 

 woLild surely have hesitated before suggesting to the public 

 the presence of machinery and would never have compared 

 them with the movements of an automaton. Even a very super- 

 ficial acquaintance with the actual structure and mode of 

 growth of any tissue in nature would have interfered with the 

 aífirmation of many of the silly dogmas, of wich aman is a 

 machine» is by no means the only or the most significant exem- 

 ple. Moreover, it is quite certain that a very moderate amount 

 of practical Information upon matters microscópio would have 

 prevented the public from falling headlong into many philoso- 

 phical traps wich have been laid to catch the ignorant who 

 desire to be thought learned, and the unwary who wish to 

 appear knowing. Not one of those who have devoted themsel- 

 ves to the study of living matter, and have seen with their 

 own eyes and contemplated with their own understandings the 

 phenomena of living matter, has been able to discern those 

 promises and potencies wich dr. Tyndall boastfully declares 

 have been discerned by him in matter, a nor has one single 

 observer been able 10 see «molecular» or other machinery in 

 the living matter of any living being. Tor these and other ab- 

 surd and mischievous statements received by the materialist 

 faithful experienced observers who are familiar with the use 

 of the microscope are not responsible». 



Instrumentos 



O primeiro instrumento e o mais essencial de todos para 

 um microscopista é sem duvida um bom microscópio. Com 

 elle ha de lidar constantemente; da perfeição d'elle depende 

 a perfeição dos conhecimentos que vae adquirir. Todo o cui- 

 dado e circumspecção é, poi^, necessária na acquisição d'este 

 instrumento; um engano na escolha seria lamentável e teria 

 como consequência necessária o abandono completo dos estu- 

 dos começados, ou gastos pecuniários excusados. 



O mais seguro será, portanto, dirigir-se o comprador a uma 



