196 The Microscope. 



use of the instrument in the study of animal histology. A few years 

 later the Italian anatomist, Marcello Malpighi, viewed the circulation 

 of the blood under the microscope and thus discovered the existence 

 of the red blood corpuscles. From those dates up to the present 

 time the instrument has been a faithful servant to the physician and 

 a valuable aid in the progress of his science. 



In view of such a condition of aflPairs, it is not startling to find 

 some of the physicians of the present day looking upon microscopy 

 and the application of a knowledge of the use of the microscope to 

 medicine, as being nearly one and the same thing. The fact that such 

 views are held is frequently impressed upon us when we converse on 

 the subject with the average doctor who has a microscope and uses 

 it (for a great many instruments in physicians' ofiices are only orna- 

 ments, or advertisements, or both). We well remember (for in this 

 instance there was not much to remember) one of the courses of les- 

 sons that were taken from a physician. They consisted of a partial 

 illustration of section cutting and mounting soft animal tissue in 

 glycerine. Not a hint was given to lead us to infer that the micro- 

 scope could be employed for any other purpose than that of examin- 

 ing flesh. The lessons were in strong contrast to some taken just 

 before and others after this " special " course. 



The increasing popularity of the microscope is bringing many 

 amateurs into the field, and the question naturally arises: What shall 

 such persons be taught ? The instructions to which we have referred 

 may answer very well for the student of medicine, who, as a busy 

 medical practitioner, will not find time for any other than profes- 

 sional work; but in our opinion the amateur should be given an 

 entirely difPerent course of instruction. If the amateur is to give 

 more attention to one subject than to another, we believe that vege- 

 table histology and morphology presents one of the most suitable 

 lines of work that he can adopt. Oiu* reasons for holding such views 

 may be summed up in the following points: 



1. Moderate priced instruments, supplied with low powers, answer 

 nearly every purpose. 



2. The material for such work is easily obtained in almost endless 

 variety. 



3. Preparations for examination are comparatively easily made and 

 mounted. They require no operations that may prove repulsive to 

 the most sensitive. 



4. The specimens are of general interest to the laity. 



5. The subject presents an almost unlimited field for original 

 research. 



