74 THE MICROSCOPE. 



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i.etter from paris. 

 Professor C. H. Stowell: 



Here we are at last in "beautiful Paris" and, like hundreds of 

 other tourists, with guide book in hand, we travel from morning till 

 night feasting our eyes and "cramming" our brains. 



To-day has been devoted to the selecting of surgical and 

 ophthalmic instruments. I am greatly surprised to find that even 

 here in the largest instrument stores it is necessary to leave your 

 orders from three to six days before it is possible to see your in- 

 struments, and even before they can be shown you they must be put 

 in order and oftentimes made. 



I, together with my friends Drs. Dobson, of Chicago, and Hen- 

 derson, of Minneapolis, called at Nachet and Fils, of Rue St. Severn, 

 to examine some fine microscopes, with immersion lenses made to 

 their special order. 



We intend soon to visit the large hospitals of Paris. We hear 

 that even lady physicians have some difficulty in procuring this 

 privilege. 



Thus far we have met with but slight opposition which has been 

 easily overcome, but in no place have we been received better than 

 in Vienna. "In the city where dogs, cows and women do the prin- 

 cipal part of the drudgery." 



With our guide we set out early monday morning for the grand 

 central "krankenhauses" and were introduced as lady physicians 

 from America, which seems to be a charming word here. 



The "director" received us with many bows and smiles and gave 

 us tickets to visit the whole institution. We found that many of the 

 students could speak English quite well and seemed to take great 

 pleasure in showing us the patients, their modes of dressing and 

 treatment. I noticed that all nurses were women, I asked why this 

 was so, and was informed that "they made much better nurses and 

 were so much cheaper." 



We had permission to attend any of the clinics also private 

 operations. So we selected first Professor Billroth's, which occupies 

 two hours each day. 



