THE MICROSCOPE. 179 



A lady applied to me to be relieved of most troublesome dysuria 

 with which she had been annoyed for years without any benefit from 

 the many treatments she had undergone at the hands of numerous 

 physicians. She had also a slight vaginal discharge, and upon 

 examination a chronic thickening of the urethra. The constant 

 irritation had reduced' her very much. Digital and instrumental 

 examinations failed to reveal sufficient cause for such a grave con- 

 dition as was evidently present, but a microscopic examination of 

 the vaginal and urethral secretions demonstrated the presence of a 

 great number of a species of the trichomonas vaginalis. Based upon 

 this examination an insecticide douche was prescribed, with the 

 result of relieving all the prominent local symptoms in a few days; 

 of course the physical and constitutional consequences of such long 

 continued local irritation required other and more patient treatment. 



In another case in which the patient applied to be treated, for 

 what she thought to be an old standing disease, I found by micro- 

 scopic examination the whole trouble to be caused by another 

 variety of the same minute organism. A course of treatment simi- 

 lar to that adopted in the former case resulted equally as well. 



It is unnecessary to multiply cases. These two fairly illustrate 

 the value of the microscope in this class of complaints. But for it 

 I, too, might have blundered along in the course pursued by others 

 who had treated these cases. Success in diagnosis and in treatment 

 comes not always of genius, but of the possession of improved means 

 of investigation, and of the patient, constant, conscientious employ- 

 ment of them. 



Microscopic Examination of the Blood. — In the examina- 

 tion of the blood a field of investigation of great prdmise has of late 

 years been opened up to ardent and persevering clinical micro- 

 scopists. While from my own personal observation I am as yet un- 

 able to confirm all that has been claimed for the microscopic ex- 

 amination of the blood in diagnosis, I can positively state that this 

 pursuit has proved of great value to me, and I feel amply rewarded 

 for the time, trouble and expense which I have devoted to the 

 study. 



In America and in Europe there are quite a number of earnest 

 hoematologists, and there is every reason to hope that the time is 

 rapidly approaching when the microscopic examination of the blood 



