Monthly Mi ical 
Journal, Dec. 1, 1870. ( 815) 
NEW BOOKS, WITH SHORT NOTICES. 
A Handbook of Medical Microscopy. By Joseph G. Richardson, M.D., 
Microscopist to the Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. Lippin- 
cott, 1871.—It is a curious fact, but not the less a true one, that 
almost all books which America produces, however good they may 
be, are yet considerably below their fellows in this country. Of 
medical and scientific manuals this is especially true, and we are 
compelled to consider Dr. Richardson’s volume as one of the class 
to which we refer. This inferiority is especially true in the case 
of scientific manuals, which, however well they may be got up, 
and however fully they may be illustrated, are yet far behind their 
European fellows. Yet, perhaps, as there is no exact equivalent of 
Dr. Richardson’s volume in this country, his may prove somewhat 
exceptional. It is a work addressed almost wholly to medical men, 
and it treats at first of the microscope in its different forms, and 
then of the several apparatus which are required in order to work 
with it. But on looking through its pages, we find little that is 
not to be found, even on the medical matters, in such volumes as 
Carpenter’s, Beale’s, and Hoge’s; while in reference to the mecha- 
nical features of the microscope it is very sadly deficient. Further- 
more, it only contains about thirty woodcuts, while any of the 
English works, Carpenter’s for instance, including the plates, has 
about 500; and this is a deficiency which we cannot but note in 
a microscopical work, in which, above all, the reader—particularly 
if he be a novice—requires to be instructed by the aid of good 
illustrations. 
Having said a good deal that is against the author, we may add 
a word or two in his favour. He has evidently considerable expe- 
rience in the various forms of microscopic apparatus, and he has 
himself a great name as an American worker; and it is these facts 
which make us speak so severely of his book. But he has in the 
manipulation department of his work given us the fruits of his 
research, and he has been at pains to bring down his matter to as 
late a date as possible, events of the last year finding a constant 
place in his volume. He seems to support the dry lenses, though 
he gives favourable mention to those of the immersion system, 
which, however, he does not appear to adopt. In all respects, so 
far as we can see, the author has put together in a terse form the 
views of the several Continental and English observers on micro- 
scopic subjects ; this part of his work being immensely beyond the 
other in the manner in which it is executed. 
On the whole, we imagine the work is suitable to the medical 
student ; but we think when it comes to its next edition that the 
author will do well to attend to some of our remarks, and extend 
at least that portion of his volume which relates to microscopical 
apparatus. 
