JOUENAL 



OF THE 



EOYAL MICEOSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



MARCH, 1911). 



TRANSACTIONS OF THP: SOCIETY. 



I, — Presidential Address, 1917-18 : The Limitations of 



Microscopy. 



By Joseph E. Barnard, P.R.M.S. 



(Bead February 19th, 1919.) 



In accordance with long-established custom, the time has come for 

 me to inflict on you a Presidential Address. I confess that the 

 selection of a suitable subject confronted me with a problem of 

 some difficulty. 



I turned for inspiration to the subjects of addresses by some of 

 my predecessors, to find that they in most cases dealt with the 

 particular branch of microscopy in which they were interested, and 

 relied on their, often great, literary ability to put before you an 

 exposition which was a worthy addition to the publications of this 

 Society. 



My only course appeared to endeavour to the best of my ability 

 to follow such an example, and to deal with some special branch of 

 microscopy ; but with the cessation of war I realized that a change 

 in our outlook must of necessity take place — that I was in a position 

 that none of my predecessors had ever found themselves in, having 

 regard to the social and scientific possibilities of the period ahead 

 of us. It is no longer possible to regard anything as established 

 beyond all chance of reform. The spirit of regeneration is in the 

 air, and it behoves us as a scientific society to review the situation, 

 and to make sure that the branch of science in which we are 

 interested is on a sound foundation, and that we are worthily repre- 

 senting its interests. 



I felt, therefore, that some review of the present state of 

 microscopy, its limitations, and, if I dare be prophetic, its possi- 

 bilities, was called for. Let me at once disclaim any intention, or 



B 



