148 The Microscope. 



in this country who try to establish and maintain a reputation 

 for scientific work in America? If no American bought an 

 American microscope who would make one? The men who 

 affect to despise American work are often quite ignorant of what 

 has been done by Americans, and do nothing themselves to im- 

 prove it. It is clearly the duty of the American scientific in- 

 vestigator to support the American scientific mechanic, and by 

 mutual cooperation, to raise and maintain the character of Am- 

 erican scientific instruments to that superiority which America 

 has already established and maintains in other machine con- 

 struction. 



A brilliant example of what has already been accomplished 

 by this method of cooperation, is the establishment of Mr Bra- 

 shear's at Pittsburgh (not for microscopes), where the man of 

 science who wanted new and original work done, sought for the 

 American mechanic to do it, assisted in his training, and the 

 two produced an establishment to which all the world now pays 

 tribute. Of a similar character is the workshop of the Clarks, at 

 Cambridge, Mass., for telescopes, a line closely allied to micro- 

 scopes. Those who prefer the Gern*ian pattern of microscopes, 

 will have no difiiculty now in getting it of American make. 



It may be said by some that these remarks are the result of a 

 species of ill-advised and unjustifiable patriotism. A pretty 

 large acquaintance with the scientific literature of Europe enables 

 me to say, that a disposition to maintain or even exaggerate the 

 scientific achievements of one's own country, is by no means 

 unknown among the savants of Europe, and I think a little- 

 tendency in that direction is at present a desirable element in 

 the character of our native scientists and students. The leading 

 German maker of microscopes when seeking to improve his art, 

 has received large financial aid from his government, The 

 American who first discovered and worked out to completion 

 the very improvement on which the fame of the German rests, 

 living under the shadow of our most renowned University, re- 

 ceived scanty support and little credit.^ The fluor spar lens, on 

 which the alleged superiority of the German objective is now 

 said to depend,^ it is certain from the evidence before us was 

 discovered and practically applied by an American maker before 



1. Proc. Am. Soc. Microscopists, 1884. p. 36-38, " Robert B. Tolles and the angle of 

 aperture question." MayaU's Cantor Lecture, Jour. Soc. Arts, p. 1119, toI. XXXIV. 



2. Pro. Am. Soc. Microscopists, 1890, p. 248. 



