190 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Lieut-Col J. Clibborn, CLE., B.A., read a paper on "A Standard 



Microscope." 



The President stated that the sole object of bringing the matter 

 forward was a desire to be helpful, and it was fairly obvious that the 

 Society should be in a position to assist in the matter of microscope 

 design and the adaptability of different types for particular work. The 

 paper was entirely a personal matter on the part of Col. Clibborn, and 

 the Society was supporting him on the ground that publicity should 

 be given to his views. 



Mr. Conrad Beck stated that the British Science Guild appointed a 

 Committee, which went into the matter and discussed it with the manu- 

 facturers, and they then sent out a long list of questions to the 

 Universities and other Institutions. He had pointed out to that Com- 

 mittee that unless some scheme of standardization was produced the 

 microscopist after the war would have to pay three or four times the 

 price for his instrument. But it was equally important that a standard 

 microscope if produced should be adopted. Each one had his own 

 particular attachments, and had a preference for a certain stage or 

 stand. That made it extremely difficult to produce microscopes on what 

 Col. Clibborn had described as manufacturing economically. The 

 Committee's Report contained specifications of standard microscopes, 

 but did not go into the manufacturing details. If microscopes w^ere to 

 be made on satisfactory lines at a reasonable cost, they must be made 

 under totally different conditions. Hand labour would have to be very 

 largely reduced and machinery introduced. His own firm had found 

 that machine tools of greater precision than had been hitherto used were 

 necessary. He thought that anything done by the Society should be by 

 way of suggestion to the Committee that was already in existence. He 

 had hoped to hear some suggestions that would have been of use in 

 criticizing the Report as to the suggested special lines upon which a 

 standard microscope should be designed. The manufacturers worked 

 under great difficulty during the war, and until after November 11 last 

 no microscopes were allowed to be made ; the factories were all engaged 

 on optical instruments. Firms, however, were now spending 1000/. 

 per month in manufacturing tools for the production of microscopes. 

 The trade was working on the specifications brought forward by the 

 Committee. They would also be interested to learn that th« optical 

 industry had started a Research Association, and had been fortunate in 

 securing the services of Sir Herbert Jackson as Director. 



Professor Cheshire said that in the future British manufacturers 

 must make goods for the world's markets with interchangeable or 

 standard parts by repetition machinery and unskilled labour. Before 

 the war a certain large lens was roughed out by hand labour at 30.<^. 

 per week, and ten to twelve on the average were turned out each 

 week. When war came they paid a girl 30s. per w^eek, and with a 

 machine had an output of more than a thousand per week. In the 

 future a standard microscope made from standard parts by repetition 

 machinery meant a stereotyped instrument. 



The President, in submitting a resolution thanking Lieut.-Col. 

 Clibborn for his paper, referred to the work of the British Science Guild. 



