1893.] THE MICROSCOPE. 83 



My own impression is that the balmy days of microscopical 

 societies have been merged in general biological and other 

 scientific societies. The glass is, after all, only an instrument; 

 it is, particularly in medicine, a means and not an end. We 

 do not have any telescope societies that I am aware of, but 

 astronomy is none the less a progressive science. And so with 

 the microscope, at least with us in Indianapolis, the parent 

 home of the national society. We are more and more inter- 

 ested in biology and pathology, but the day of the glass and 

 brass men has gone into the past — has become, in brief, ancient 

 history. 



-ooo- 



INSTRUMENTS DESCRIBED— III. 



BY THE MAKER. 



The Star Microscope. — Mesgrs. Williams, Brown & Earle 

 of Philadelphia, recommend their Star Microscope, which has 

 fine and coarse adjustments, 1-inch eyepiece, 1-inch objective, 

 a double mirror and diaphragm, and sells at $20. The same 

 stand, fitted with an additional objective (1-4 inch), costs 

 $27.50. This instrument is made by R. & J. Beck, of London, 

 and pays a duty of 40 per cent. It nevertheless sells at about 

 the same price as domestic instruments of the same grade. 

 The objective and eyepiece are the same as furnished with 

 higher grade instruments. To the substage can be fitted all 

 ordinary accessories like condenser, polariscope and illumina- 

 tor. The base is filled with lead, and the stand not likely to 

 be overturned by accident. Great delicacy of focusing is 

 claimed for this instrument, and its fine adjustment doubtless 

 makes it somewhat superior to all which lack a fine adjust- 

 ment. 



000 



THE ADULTERATION OF DRUGS. 



BY W. G. TUCKER, M. D., ALBANY, NEW YORK. 



The result of a careful examination of 326 samples of vari- 

 ous drugs was as follows : Good quality, 140, or 43.0 per cent.: 

 fair quality, 44, or 13.3 per cent.; inferior, 79, or 24.2 per cent.: 

 not as called for, 53, or 19.3 per cent. The latter 63 samples, 

 designated " not as called for," show simply the fairness of the 

 examiner, as, while containing adulterants, benefit of the 

 doubt is given to the compounder or seUer. 



