125 



V, — A Standard Microscope. 

 By LiEUT.-CoL. J. ClibboRxX, C.I.E., B.A, F.R.M.S. 



Eead March 19, 1919. 



I AM somewhat diffident of my ability to place before the Council 

 and Fellows of this Society a proposition which appears not only 

 appropriate but urgent at the present time — namely, to draw the 

 attention of this Eoyal Microscopical Society to what may justly 

 be termed both a privilege and a duty. My proposition is that 

 this Society should at once take measures to design and specify the 

 British Standard Microscope. 



It seems almost unnecessary to give reasons in support of this 

 proposal ; the Government and the trade of this country are 

 pressing strongly for invention, design, and standards to prevent 

 the alien from overwhelming British manufacture, and it would be 

 difficult to find a case in which this regrettaljle result is more likely 

 to occur than that of the microscope, unless proper measures are 

 taken at once. 



It may be suggested this duty is to the manufacturers, and not 

 to this Society ; but a little consideration will show that the duty 

 of the trade is to mapufacture well and economically and not to 

 research. For the latter the trade rarely has either the methods, 

 the funds, or the leisure, nor is there ready to hand the scientific 

 knowledge, talent, and experience available in the Fellows of this 

 Society, who collectively constitute the proper authority to seal the 

 result of their deliberations as a standard for the Empire. 



As a matter of business detail, it need hardly be said that the 

 selection of a particular firm in the trade as the producer of the 

 standard would not conduce to commercial amiability, nor would 

 a co-operative arrangement be practicable or likely to produce the 

 result desired. 



It thus appears evident that this national work falls naturally 

 to the Society, and I trust those Fellows, whose knowledge and 

 experience in this matter we. all admire and respect, will suppoi t 

 the suggestion, and that the Society will take the matter up with 

 vigour, and with a determination to spare no effort to place this 

 country ahead of all rivals in microscope efficiency and production. 



I have looked through many catalogues, both home and foreign, 

 in the endeavour to trace some leading idea in the designs offered ; 

 there may be such, but, if so, it is camouflaged to all but experts. 

 It however appears evident that a monocular microscope stand 



K 



