118 CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



his guide, when retailing microscopical observations on the animal- 

 cules of hot mineral springs. The Professor has adopted a curious 

 and novel view of this subject, wbich he has minutely and repeatedly 

 examined. He made experiments upon specimens sent to bim from 

 the thermal sources of Carlsbad, and he contends that hving fossil 

 infusoria exist in the water. In the peat-bog of Franzenbad and the 

 meadow-earth of Billin, he discovered the same kind of animalcules. 

 In all these specimens he detected eighteen different species of mov- 

 ing fossil bodies, belonging to the family of Bacillarice, which have 

 hitherto been considered as forms of plants by practical naturalists. 

 Professor Ehrenberg has published figures of these moving fossil 

 bodies, and he assigns several powerful reasons for believing them to 

 he fossil animalcules. It is his opinion that these creatures are con- 

 stantly reproduced, and form many of those stratifications of the 

 earth's surface which have hitherto been looked upon as the remains 

 of extinct series of marine animals, left after great geological commo- 

 tions. He enters upon a curious calculation of the number of such 

 animalcules required to make up a given quantity of the fossil strati- 

 fications. He is firmly persuaded that these animalcules are gene- 

 rated every moment ; that after their death they form entire rocks ; 

 and that, therefore, they ought to be taken into consideration by those 

 who endeavour to explain the structure of the globe. He makes the 

 marvellous statement that twenty-three millions of such animalcules 

 would make up a cubic line of the rock, and actually be contained in it. 

 Now, as there are 1728 cubic lines in a cubic inch, the latter would 

 then comprize nearly forty billions of the animals, the siliceous body 

 of which must weigh about ^-iy millionth part of a grain : and as to 

 the size of these living beings under a fossil shell, the Professor has 

 ascertained it to be just one-sixth of the thickness of a human hair. 



Dr. G's. sketches of Carlsbad are various and elaborate, and his 

 information concerning the place and its people is altogether very 

 multifarious and exceedingly instructive. It is replete with sagacious 

 remarks and scientific inductions, enlivened with frequent fine touches 

 of the gastronomic philosophy : these last are always exquisitely 

 brilliant and tasteful. One remark of his merits the consideration of 

 all true philanthropists and moralists. He understood that this Spa 

 had been deserted by the vicious and the mere lounger, and was be- 

 come a real retreat for invalids ; and he also understood that this 

 happy change was efifected by creating for such fribblers the disap- 

 pointment of finding little fun there and still less to eat, with the 

 absence of gambUng and the non-existence of more private iniquities. 

 With respect to diet at Carlsbad, there is a medico-sprudelian dish, 

 which once was, and still ought to be, in great vogue with invahds 

 and other visiters. By throwing a little butter, flour, and salt, and 

 the yolk of an eg^, with slices of bread, into a proper quantity of the 

 hot mineral water, the thrifty housekeepers cook you up a soup in 

 the twinkling of an eye. This is distinguished by the expressive ap- 



