The Microscope. 125 



tinually passing off." The microscope resolved pieces of this 

 " mucous membrane " into the beautiful spiral vessels of the 

 vegetable kingdom. A close questioning revealed the fact that 

 celery had formed a large part of the patients diet for a number 

 of days, and the more the patient worried over her " deplorable 

 condition " so much the more celery was eaten " to quiet the 

 nerves." 



A patient (with the consent of her physician) sent me 

 what she called " portions of a uterine tumor that came away 

 with the hot water injections." These proved to be shreds of 

 vegetable tissue ; perhaps from some vegetable decoction used 

 by the patient without the knowledge of her physician. 



A prominent man in a city in this state had been sick for 

 some time with a bladder difficulty. "One morning," he writes, 

 " I passed with my urine a worm which I enclose in a bottle 

 and send to you. I have improved rapidly since and am now 

 about well." The "worm" was about three inches in length, 

 very thin, and about one-eighth of an inch in width. The 

 microscope showed, however, that the animal was simply a lon- 

 gitudinal section of some common straw. 



Some vomited matter was sent to me to examine to see if 

 the patient had " cancer of the stomach." The physician 

 writes, " notice especially the hard piece of tissue ; I think it is 

 a portion of the tumor." The hard piece was a beautiful speci- 

 men of striated muscle, and I jumped at a conclusion by telling 

 the doctor to forbid his patient any longer the luxury of pork. 

 Fifth, 



IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE NEW FORMATIONS. 



When it is understood how greatly the different tumors 

 vary as to their degree of malignancy, it is apparent that the 

 microscope will be of value in making a diagnosis, or in giving 

 corroborative testimony to the diagnosis of the surgeon. 



In order that the physician may avail himself of some of 

 the practical uses of the microscope as mentioned above, it is 

 not necessary that he should have either thorough training or 

 extended experience. With the aid of some good text-book, 

 well illustrated, he will be able at once to obtain satisfactory 

 results. 



