48 The Microscope, 



the papers or books in question being submitted to microscopi- 

 cal examination at the hands of experts, real or supposed. 

 Among the points to which such examinations are appHed may 

 be mentioned the detection of forgery, alteration, erasure, in- 

 terpolation, etc., the detection of the authorship of simulated or 

 anonymous writing, tlie determination of relative age of different 

 writings, identity or difference in inks, pencil marks, paper, etc.: 

 detection of erased writings, the character of stains, marks, mu- 

 tilations on paper and elsewhere. 



Many of the questions involved require very delicate and pro- 

 longed examination for their determination, and sometimes the 

 use of high powers, but by far the greater number of (]uestion8 

 involve the use of but low or medium powers, and usually the 

 examination of considerable surfaces. Probably every micros- 

 copist who has had occasion to examine writings to any extent has 

 felt the inconvenience of the best modern microscopes for that pur- 

 pose, owing to their limited stage room and short rack. In very 

 many cases the examination required involves the comparison of 

 a considerable number of papers, ami often of the entire surface 

 of a good sized sheet of paper. The examination of books, such 

 as hotel registers, Bibles, account hooks, etc., is almost impossi- 

 ble of satisfactory accomplishment with ordinary microscopes, 

 the only way to proceed being usually to place the instrument on 

 the book and focus through the stage-well. The " Tank Micro- 

 scope " of some English makers is better for this use than any 

 other present form, but like the others, is objectionaVjle on ac- 

 count of having to be moved about over the book or paper under 

 examination. The danger of marring or obliterating some por- 

 tions of the writing to be examined often prohibits the placing 

 of the microscope upon the writing or moving it about, and ren- 

 ders a satisfactory examination quite impossible. 



Another serious o1 jection to ])resent forms of microscope for 

 the uses of the graphologist is the inability to use them as a class 

 microscope to be passed from hand to hand, with the objects to 

 be viewed securely clampd in i)Osition and in focus. 



To obviate the defects found in the presents microscope for 

 such uses and to produce a form adapted to the special needs of 

 the graphologist, as made apparent to me by some twenty years 

 of my own experience in that line, and my observation of the 

 work of others, 1 liavr (Icvisvd the microscope stand which I 



