14 THE MICROSCOPE. Jan. 
water is the larger number of microbes it contains, in India 
the contrary is the case. The thick turbid water of the 
Ganges on the Jumnais commonly better, bacteriologically 
than that of the Elbe at Hamburg. 
Danger in Towels.—A case of infections disease for 
which the physicians felt unable to account in any way 
gave a start to this investigation. Inthe same office where 
the patient was employed was a janitor who was suffering 
from the same disease. The physician Prof. Balleston 
secured the soiled towels and upon examination a colony of 
bacilli of the same sort were found. ‘These towels were 
furnished by acompany who furnished thousands of towels 
all over the city. Half a dozen were examined with no re- 
sult except a few harmless microbes, but later a very in- 
nocent looking one was found to contain disease germs of 
the most horrible description. It was found that many 
towels have so slight an appearance of soil upon them that 
they are simply run through the soap suds, rinsed, dried, 
and mangled. In one case a profuse crop of pimples 
was traceable to the use of one of these towels when the 
face was moist with perspiration. 
A towel showing a very slight stain—not enough to cause 
the casual observer to think of investigating it—was the 
object of suspicion toa microscopist. The spot was cut 
out and subjected to the culture process. As soon as it 
came in contact with moisture, the spot, which had been 
ironed down smooth and flat, swelled to considerable pro- 
portions, and showedalargenumber of dangerous microbes. 
Silver Crystals.—To make these pretty objects for 
microscopic examination, dissolve a crystal of silver nitrate 
ina few drops of rain-water. Put a drop of the solution 
in the center of a glass slide, and place it on the stage 
under a low power, concentrating the light on it from 
above. Now take a bit of clean copper wire about one and 
one half inches in length and bend it in the shape of the 
letter L, making the shorter end just long enough to pro_ 
ject into the edge of the drop from the edge of the slide. 
Bend the longer end into a hook which will catch on the 
