Spontaneous Vitality of Microscopic Animals. 7 



which is the reverse to what occurs in the attractions of disunited bodies; 

 and much wants further investigation. So the spontaneous production 

 of alcohol or of vinegar, by the vinous and acetous fermentations, as 

 well as the production of a mucus by putrefaction which will contract 

 when extended, seems almost as difficult to understand as the sponta- 

 neous production of a fibre from decomposing animal or vegetable 

 substances, which will contract when stimulated, and thus constitutes 

 the primordium of life. 



Some of the microscopic animals are said to remain dead for many 

 days or weeks, when the fluid in which they existed is dried up,' 

 and quickly to recover life and motion by the fresh addition of 

 water and warmth. Thus the chaos redivivum of Linneeus dwells in 

 vinegar and in bookbinders paste: it revives by water after having 

 been dried for years, and is both oviparous and viviparous; Syst. Nat. 

 Thus the vorticella or wheel animal, which is found in rain water that 

 has stood some days in leaden gutters, or in hollows of lead on the 

 tops of houses, or in the slime or sediment left by such water, though 

 it discovers no sign of life except when in the water, yet it is capable 

 of continuing alive for many months though kept in a dry state. In 

 this state it is of a globulous shape, exceeds not the bigness of a grain 

 of sand, and no signs of life appear; but being put into water, in the 

 space of half an hour a languid motion begins, the globule turns itself 

 about, lengthens itself by slow degrees, assumes the form of a lively 

 maggot, and most commonly in a few minutes afterwards puts out its 

 wheels, swimming vigorously through the water as if in search of 

 food; or else, fixing itself by the tail, works the wheels in such a 

 manner as to bring its food to its mouth; English Encyclopedia, Art. 

 Animalcule. 



Thus some shell-snails in the cabinets of the curious have been 

 kept in a dry state for ten years or longer, and have revived on being- 

 moistened with warmish water; Philos. Transact. So eggs and seeds 

 after many months torpor, are revived by warmth and moisture ; 

 hence it may be concluded, that even the organic particles of dead 

 animals may, when exposed to a due degree of warmth and mois 

 ture, regain some degree of vitality, since this is done by more com- 

 plicate animal organs in the instances above mentioned. 



