124 THE MICROSCOPE. 
published in Part Ist, 1888, of the Journal of the Elisha’ Mitchell 
Scientific Society. 
We may not be far from the truth, therefore, when we assume 
that there is a birth, change, and decay of diseases due to very 
gradual changes in the micro-organisms, which are the causes.—— 
Theobald Smith. 
Tue Dairy Commissioner of the state of New Jersey reports that 
he subjected 625 articles of food to analysis, of which more than 48 
per cent. were found to be adulterated. Of 415 samples of drugs 
and medicines analyzed, more than 55 per cent. were sophisticated, 
or below the legal standard. 
Firry years ago such a thing as a permanent microscopic 
mount was unknown. 
Tue last Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural 
History, is devoted to the description, anatomical and histological, 
of anew earth worm (Diplocardia communis gen. et sp. nov.) by 
Mr. H. Garman. The paper is illustrated with fine plates. 
Messrs. H. R. Spencer & Co., the well known makers of high 
class objectives, have recently removed their establishment to 
Cleveland, Ohio, where they will be hereafter known as the H. R. 
_ Spencer Optical Co. With increased capital and facilities, we 
understand that it is their intention to keep in stock a full line of 
their productions, which they have heretofore been unable to do. 
They wil] also open up a new department for manufacturing 
telescope objectives of any given length to order. 
Mr. Worrnineron G. Smirx finds that genuine honey can be 
readily distinguished from manufactured honey by the microscope. 
The former has few or no sugar crystals and abounds with pollen 
grains, while the imitations have little else than these crystals, with 
rarely a trace of pollen grains. The honeyed taste of the manufac- 
tured article, he thinks, may come from honey-comb or beeswax 
being mashed up with the article used in the manufacture. Each 
class of plants has its own specific form of pollen grain, and Mr. 
Smith says that any one conversant with this branch of botany could 
tell from what part of the world the honey came by studying the 
pollen grains that it might contain. 
Tue American Naturalist says that D. H. Blane describes a 
species of Protozoa (dromia) which he considers as a member of the 
genus from the ooze at the bottom of Lake Geneva. 
