The Microscope. 123 



the time of recovery to as many days or weeks. Take the large 

 class of skin diseases caused by vegetable parasites. It is sim- 

 ply impossible to diagnose some of the forms of tinea, with the 

 minute mycelium and still more minute spores, without the aid 

 of the microscope. As these diseases are parasitic, the low 

 vegetable growth being not very unlike ordinary mould, so only 

 such local applications are required, as a rule, that will destroy 

 the life of the plant, as preparations of mercury, sulphur, tar, 

 etc. 



C, of the Mood. A casual examination will enable us to 

 determine approximately whether the normal relation between 

 the red and white corpuscles is maintained and whether there 

 are any marked changes in the appearances of those bodies. By 

 the additional aid of a " corpuscle-counting " apparatus, we are 

 able to determine with great accuracy, whether the blood con- 

 tains the normal amount of corpuscles to the cu. mm. whether 

 the relation of the two corpuscles to each other is normal, and of 

 course by repeated examinations whether our special treatment 

 is giving desired results. I purposely omit in this connection, 

 any reference to the various forms described by a few writers, 

 as ever present in certain diseases. 



D, of the sputa, for lung tissue ; of the contents of the 

 oral cavity as for the vegetable parasites of apthce; of vomited 

 matters; of fascal matter for taeniae, echinococci, etc. ; of milk 

 to determine its richness or to discover adulterations. 



E, of muscle. It might be necessary in a medico-legal 

 case to examine the muscle of the heart to determine whether 

 there was any degeneration present or not. Principally how- 

 ever the practitioner would examine this tissue for the purpose 

 of discovering the presence of that troublesome little worm, the 

 trichina spiralis. Here even it will be necessary for the ob- 

 server to have the glasses of his instrument free from dust or he 

 may see, as has been reported, in place of the trichinae some 

 wonderful new vegetable parasitic growth. 



The microscope is useful in practical medicine, second, 



IN THE DETECTION OF FRAUD. 



The microscope has many times exposed the false claims of 

 irresponsible practitioners. Notably so in a case in this state, 



