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Rufus Porter (1 May 1792 - 13 Aug 1884) American editor and inventor who put out the first issue of Scientific American on 28 Aug 1845. As an inventor, he had little business sense, but held over 100 patents. Short biography of Rufus Porter >>

Rufus Porter - Animalculae…hideous forms…with malignant and voracious propensities

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From paragraph in Scientific American (1846) urging the use of water filters. (source)

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“Minute living animals … too small for observation, even with a microscope … in water that has been long stagnant … appear not only in hideous forms, but with malignant and voracious propensities.”

— Rufus Porter

From Scientific American, (10 Oct 1846).

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Fanciful illustration of “Animalculae” from Scientific American (1846) (source)

Context of Rufus Porter's quote on Animalculae and water filters

A paragraph in the second volume of Scientific American (10 Oct 1846) is titled 'Animalculae in Water.' Since it has no specific attribution as to the writer, the Webmaster assumes that would be Rufus Porter, the editor of the magazine at the time. As he admits, he was no doubt stimulated to discuss the tiny animal life in drinking water because elsewhere in the issue, he described two new inventions of water filters. No doubt the vendors were happy for the recognition. In truth, the favour was to the reader, because there was awareness that any contamination in water needed to be avoided. In full, he wrote:

“The fact is generally known that nearly all liquids contain a variety of minute living animals, though in some they are too small for observation, even with a microscope. In others, especially in water that has been long stagnant, these animals appear not only in hideous forms, but with malignant and voracious propensities. The print at the head of this article purports to be a microscopic representation of a single drop of such water, with the various animals therein, and some of the inventors and venders of the various improved filters for the Croton water, would have no objection to the prevalence of the opinion that this water contains all the variety of monsters represented in this cut. But the fact is far otherwise; and it is doubtful whether these animals could frequently be detected in the Croton water, with the best solar microscope. Nevertheless, the fact is readily and clearly established that the Croton water contains a quantity of deleterious matter, which is arrested by the filters; and, on this account, we cheerfully and heartily recommend the adoption of filters by all who use this water, from either the public or private hydrants. To this end we would call the special attention of our city readers to the improved filters noticed under the head of ‘New Inventions.’”

Bacteria in water had been known since the 17th century when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a talented lens grinder, designed a single lens microscope and made close examinations of tiny life forms.

“Croton water” referred to the public water supply for New York City, coming from the reservoir formed behind a dam built in 1842 on the Croton River. It was already filtered through a municipal water works, so the writer defended its quality, though some “deleterious material” could yet be filtered out.

There were two filters to which Porter alluded. They were under a heading of “NEW INVENTIONS”:

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Quotes by modern microscopist Jack Longino

Quotes by pioneer microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

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