o74 ‘ Miscellanies. 
of lightning bent, like that of steam, into subserviency to the purposes 
of human art. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, 
W. D. Conyspeare. 
3. Accidental Production of Animal Life; by Mr. Crosse.— 
A communication from Mr. Stutchbury, of the Bristol Institution, 
has been disseminated through the public journals, of which we 
give a copy. As there is no doubt of the honor and veracity of Mr. 
Stutchbury, the extract which this gentleman gives from a letter of 
Mr. Crosse, may be considered as if communicated by Mr. Crosse 
‘ himself. 
Sir—It may be truly said that facts recorded, faithfully detailed, 
and made public, are the means by which philosophy is enabled to 
render her temple more durable on its foundations—every additional 
fact being the commencement of that which, when understood, forms 
an outwork of defence, rendering the interior the strong hold and 
sacred depository of truth. 
It was a maxim of the late John Hunter, which he was repeatedly 
proclaiming, that greater benefit would be conferred upon the com- 
munity if professional men had the moral courage to publish detailed 
accounts of all their unsuccessful cases, than could be derived by the 
publication of those which met with a favorable termination, for then 
the physician would reject at once such as had failed as modes of 
cure, without repeating experiment after experiment, thereby saving 
much valuable time, and certainly sparing much needless pain to the 
unfortunate patient. So with facts in natural philosophy. Let ex- 
periments be recorded, and their results will enable others, either to 
avoid, or successfully to pursue them, so as to bring them to bear 
upon principles which may elucidate some great truth, the light of 
which would probably have never shone upon them, had they not 
been able to take advantage of the works of pioneers who had pro- 
ceeded, perhaps, to the very threshhold of the same result. 
With regard to a large number of curious and (at the same time, in 
consequence of the principle not being understood) astounding facts, 
the investigator would be doing a great injury in the cause in which 
-he labors, should he be deterred from making them known, merely 
because he cannot at the same time reasonably account for the same- 
And upon this view of the subject, and to set at rest the vague views 
which are abroad, I feel it a duty due to the cause in which I am en- 
gaged, and to the philosopher with whom they have originated, at 
