THE MICROSCOPE. 99 



three inches in size, not very thick and of a dark color. With- 

 out the knowledge of the "surgeon" a piece was obtained, placed in 

 water for a short time and then a thin fragment placed under the 

 microscope. Here were spiral-vessels, stomates, etc. If any of our 

 readers desire to know just how this "membrane" looked under a 

 one-fourth objective and a "C" eye-piece they have only to prepare 

 in a careless way a piece of red cabbage leaf. 



Dr. Angears case (see article on "Claims of the microscope,") 

 has its counterpart in one recently before us. 



A lady called in great trouble of mind over her distressed con- 

 dition. She was positive that the mucous membrane of the whole 

 alimentary canal was passing off. She had tried home remedies for 

 a number of days without effect unless to aggrivate the disease. 

 She was exceedingly nervous and had great fears concerning herself. 

 Some of this "mucous membrane" was placed under the microscope 

 and resolved into spiral vessels. A close questioning revealed the 

 fact that celery had composed a principal part of the diet and the 

 more nervous the patient became the more celery was used. Of 

 course the cure was simple and complete. 



Only a few days ago we were called upon to decide which of 

 two powders contained the least starch. A diabetic patient was 

 paying thirteen cents per pound for some "diabetic flour." He had 

 received a sample of another brand, twenty cents per pound, said to 

 be "nearly free from starch of any kind." Specimen No. 2 was 

 found to contain plenty of wheat starch, but the question here was, 

 which powder contained the least starch ? We manipulated as follows: 

 A square cover-glass was placed upon a glass slide in such a way 

 that one edge of the cover was over the centre of the slide. 



With a camel's-hair brush some of the powder was dusted over 

 the glass-slide close to the edge of the cover, some of the powder 

 getting upon the cover during the careful dusting. The cover was 

 now turned directly over the powder. 



With another brush some of powder No. 2 was dusted upon 

 the slide close to the edge of the cover-glass, some of the powder 

 getting upon the cover as before, but unable to mix with powder 

 Np. I, although very close to it. This cover-glass was now 

 carefully removed and a clean cover as carefully added. Here are 

 two powders, evenly dusted over the glass and only separated by a 

 narrow line directl)'- across the centre of the slide. With low powers 



