PEPPER-WATER, a liquor prepared in the following manner, for microscopical observations: Put common black pepper, grossly powdered, into an open vessel so as to cover the bottom of it half an inch thick, and put to it rain or river water, till it covers it an inch; shake or stir the whole well together at the first mixing, but never disturb it afterwards: let the vessel be exposed to the air uncovered; and in a few days there will be seen a pellicle or thin skin swimming on the surface of the liquor, looking of several colours.
This is a congeries of multitudes of small animals; VOL. XVI. Part I.
and being examined by the microscope, will be seen all in motion: the animals, at first sight, are so small as not to be distinguishable, unless to the greatest magnifiers; but they grow daily till they arrive at their full size. Their numbers are also continually increasing, till the whole surface of the liquor is full of them, to a considerable depth. When disturbed, they will sometimes all dart down to the bottom; but they soon after come up to the surface again. The skin appears foulest in warm weather, and the animals grow the quickest: but in the severest cold it will succeed, unless the water freezes.
About the quantity of a pin's head of this scum, taken up on the nib of a new pen, or the tip of a hair-pencil, is to be laid on a plate of clear glass; and if applied first to the third magnifier, then to the second, and finally to the first, will show the different animalcules it contains, of several kinds and shapes as well as sizes.