72 THE MICROSCOPE. [May, 



In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 18th 

 day of October, A. D. 1892. (Names follow.) 



District of Columbia, 



County of Washington, r 



Be it remembered that on this 18th day of October, 1892, 

 before the subscriber personally appeared the above-named (insert 

 names), to me personally known and known to me to be the per- 

 sons whose names are subscribed to the foregoing instrument of 

 writing, and severally and personally acknowledged the same to 

 be their act and deed for the uses and purposes therein set forth. 



Given under my hand and official seal the day and year above 

 written. 



Jos. H. Blackwood, 

 [seal.] Notary Public, D. C. 



THE PRICE AND COMPOSITION OF FARRANT'S 



MEDIUM. 

 By Chas. W. Smiley, 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



One of our Western subscribers recently propounded a query 

 which we have submitted to the dealers, with some rather inter- 

 esting results. He demanded to know why dealers charge 50 

 cents per ounce for Farrant's medium, or why any one pays it 

 when he can buy the ingredients at a drug store for less than 3 

 cents. (Picked lumps gum acacia, 4 drams; glycerine, 2 fluid- 

 grams ; camphor water, 4 fluid-grams. Mix, let it dissolve and 

 strain.) 



Dr. Shanks has already replied that Farrant's medium, made 

 as suggested by F., would probably be thick and gummy, spoil 

 the mounts, and so not be worth even 3 cents per ounce. 



Bausch & Lomb make the following very satisfactory reply : 



" Farrant's medium, as quoted in our catalogue, is a compound 

 prepared after a carefully selected formula, which consists of sev- 

 eral ingredients, and undergoes a process of preparation that is 

 time-consuming. Hence the price." 



But from several other dealers we received replies marked 

 " confidential," and not to be printed. And yet some good ideas 

 came along which there is no harm in printing on our own re- 

 sponsibility. One dealer said : 



" Your correspondent appears to have overlooked the great 

 element of cost in all articles of trade, viz., time and division of 

 quantity. If he would order a pint in bulk instead of an ounce 

 we would be able to charge a less rate. How would F. answer 



