OUTLINE 



OP 



Practical Plant Anatomy 



CHAPTER I. 



THE MICROSCOPE. 



Wliile it is undoubtedly true that one 

 must look to the pharmaceutical chem- 

 ist for both the Quantitative and quali- 

 tative determination of plant constitu- 

 ents, yet the skillful microscopist can 

 often shorten the path in analysis and 

 keep a check upon the chemical results. 

 Many plant constituents are directly rec- 

 ognizable by means of the compound mi- 

 croscope, and when micro-chemical tests 

 are employed in addition there are few 

 plant products that cannot be detected, 



with more certainty than by chem- 

 ical analysis. The details of such tests 

 form the matter of many standard 



microscope, its parts, both mechanical 

 and optical, and its principles, with ad- 

 ditions of a technical nature to enable 

 the student to apply the instrument in 

 practical drug examination. 



Microscopes are of two kinds, the Sim- 

 ple and the Compound. 



The Simple Microscope, or magnifying 

 glass, consists of one or several double 

 convex lenses, and gives a direct image 

 of the object. This image is erect; the 

 field of view is generally extensive, and 

 the magnification is limited, varying 

 from one to twenty times the size of the 

 object. 



FiiC. 1. Types of Simple Microscopes, or Ma^iUifyiug Glasses 



works of reference, which cannot be con- 

 sulted without a working knowledge of 

 the microscope. The object of the pres- 

 ent chapter, therefore, is to describe the 



The Simple Microscope is invaluable 

 in investigations of plant structures, es- 

 pecially of the grosser parts. In the de- 

 termination of leaves and flowers the 



