From David Forbes 30 January 1869
11, York Place, | Portman Square, | London. W.
30 Jany. 1869.
My dear Mr Darwin
I have to thank you for Jenzsch’s book which I had previously read (after a trial of patience) and put down as consummate rubbish.1 Ideal wanderings of the brain and as I today have received a letter from Professor Zirkel of Kiel the most eminent of the Continental petrologists and observers (of the microscope in reference to rocks)—& in which he also mentions Jenzschs book I enclose you herewith a copy of his remarks in the original—2 It certainly would be a rather severe reflection on the microscopic powers of Sorby3 Zirkel and myself who have so many years worked on the subject if such a Flora and Fauna could exist—rocks which we have examined—and I know that Zirkel has carefully examined the Metaphysics alluded to by Jensch4—who undoubtedly is mad or something like it—
I am always thinking about writing a monograph on the Aymara Indian race of Bolivia, for the Ethnological but since Xmas I have been quite out of sorts with a very severe attack of Bronchitis which has also affected my head and made me very confused—5 Might I ask you when you purpose to bring out your book on man?—6 I really must endeavour to find some leisure for getting up some data for you—but I have been so thoroughly overwhelmed with work that I have not had an instants rest to sit down and collect my notes or thoughts on the subject.7
Wishing you a very happy new year and many of them believe me | My dear Mr Darwin | Yours most sincerely | David Forbes
[Enclosure]8
Extract from a letter from Professor Zirkel of Kiel to DF.
Was sagt man denn in England zu der neuen Entdeckung von Jenzsch: eine mikroscopische fossile Flora und Fauna in den gemengtheilen von Eruptivgesteinen? Alle, mit denen ich mündlich oder brieflich darüber verhandelt habe, halten die Sache für Humbug— Das ist, bis ich eines bessern belehrt werde auch meine Ansicht. Ein neues heiteres Landschaftsbild: gegend Quarz im Melaphyr9 im Vorgrunde ein idyllisch weidendes ‘Infusorium’, welches mit ausgestrecktem Rüssel gemüthlich grüne Algenzellschichten benagt, daneben ein Räderthierchen in geburtswehen begriffen, in Hintergrund einige Fluidcavities mit beweglichen Bläschen. Ein Bild, würdig der Pinsels von Sir Edwin Landseer!10 Da uns eine solche Entdeckung entschlüpfen muste! Ich habe an Jenzsch geschrieben und ihn gebeten, mir für einen Tag einige Praeparate zu schicken und mir einige Melaphyr scherben zu schenken, damit ich mich selbst Praeparate machen könne; ich erhielt zur Antwort, er brauche seine Praeparate selbst und seine Melaphyrhandstücke seien so fest verpackt, das er selbst nicht mehr dazu kommen könne. “Sapienti sat.”11
Wenn Sie diese famose Schrift die natürlich allen Ultrametamorphiken und Dilettanten fabelhaft imponieren etwa noch nicht haben, so kann ich Sie Ihnen sc⟨hic⟩ken, ich besitze sie dreimal.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Jenzsch, Gustav. 1868. Ueber eine mikroskopische Flora und Fauna krystallinischer Massengesteine (Eruptivgesteine). Leipzig: W. Engelmann.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Summary
DF’s opinion of Gustav Jenzsch’s book [Mikroskopische Flora und Fauna (1868)]. Encloses extract of a letter from Ferdinand Zirkel also mentioning Jenzsch’s work.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6584
- From
- David Forbes
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, York Place, 11
- Source of text
- DAR 164: 143–143/2
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp encl
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6584,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6584.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17
