18 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



2. Pancreatin acts most readily upon albumen in a slightly alkaline medium, is 

 less active in a neutral solution, and is slowly rendered inert in an acidulated me- 

 dium. 



3. Pancreatin is inferior to pepsin in its action upon coagulated egg albumen. 

 i. One grain of pancreatin in a neutral medium dissolves 64 grains of lean meat, 



and in alkaline solutions 140 grains are dissolved. Alkalinity favors meat digestion. 

 Pancreatin is equal to pepsin in its action upon meat. 



5. One grain of pancreatin will curdle and convert into peptone the casein in 

 900 to 1,000 grains of milk. 



6. Pancreatin is peculiarly active in the digestion of milk. 



7. One grain of pancreatin converts 100 grains of starch in one to two hours, 

 but requires from four to six hours to convert it into sugar. Its diastatic power is 

 increased by alkalinity. 



8. One grain of pancreatin will emulsify .50 grains of cod liver oil, and, more com- 

 pletely, an equal quantity of lard. Alkalinity is almost essential to complete emul- 

 siiication of fats. 



9. Pancreatin is slowly and incompletely soluble in water. 



10. While pepsin is more powerful in its specific action than pancreatin, the lat- 

 ter has such a variety of functions that it cannot be regarded as inferior to pepsin. 



A NEW FRAME FOR THE POCKET MICROSCOPE. 



BY PROF. Jj. E. SAYRE, STATE UNIVERSITY. 



A simple microscope — a "pocket lens" as it often and preferably is called — is 

 indispensable to every one who has a taste for " nature studies ; " not only because of 

 its special quality of magnification as compared with the compound microscope, but 

 because it is always ready for the examination of anything picked up along the road- 

 side, in the fields or woods. It is small, and easily carried in the pocket. It has 

 always seemed to me, however, that this little instrument, useful as it is, does not 

 entirely fill the requirements of the botanist in his out-door and field work; because 

 it is not mounted in the most suitable frame for the purpose of examining the small 

 flowers and parts of the flower. This is especially perceptible when one endeavors 

 to hold in one hand this pocket lens and the object for examination, and with the 

 other endeavors, with more or less deft fingers, to dissect the object — the smaller 

 the object the more difficult it becomes. The position of the operator, to say the 

 least, is very awkward when he attempts an analysis with the ordinary pocket lens. 

 This I have endeavored to overcome in the device I herewith present.* It consists 

 of a long handle, at one end of which is hinged a stem, which can move freely from 

 the socket above as a knife-blade does in its handle. At the extremity of this stem 

 there is inserted a ball and socket joint which is surmounted by a second smaller 

 stem, and this is surmounted by the microscope. 



It will be perceived that from this construction the magnifying lenses will have 

 full play, and can be placed in any position while it is being held firmly by the 

 hand. Furthermore, while it is thus being held in any position desired, the thumb 

 and index finger of the same hand are left almost perfectly free to hold any object 

 however minute. At the same time the other hand is left entirely free to operate 

 with dissecting needles or any dissecting botanical instruments necessary for the 

 purpose. 



*Prof. Sayre here exhibited his new microscope frame and microscope attached, and ilhistrated 

 its merits. 



