96 The Microscope. 



complished his object most successfully, and has prepared a 

 hand book with " no nonsense about it." The work proceeds 

 calmly, smoothly and with a judicial dignity directly to the at- 

 tainment of its purpose. A critical critic ma}^ easily find flaws 

 in it, as, for instance, the recommending of a stand like Beck's 

 pathological microscope in which the fine adjustment is applied 

 to the back of the stage, an arrangement that any microsoopist 

 would condemn, on theoretical grounds, at least. But the book 

 is so well done that to pick out such small defects would be an 

 ungrateful task. Still, although Dr. Gibbes expresses his ap- 

 probation of the half-tone plates with which the book is illus- 

 trated, it is more than possible that the majority of readers will 

 not agree with him. The frontispiece is equal to the best of the 

 half-tone plates which the writer has ever seen ; it nearly ap- 

 proaches perfection, but the others fall far below it. They show 

 fairly well the points intended, which may be sufficiently empha- 

 sised to the author's eye, but to find those points the unlearned 

 reader must search the pictures and know what he is searching 

 for. The plates do not, as they should, force him to see what 

 their maker intended they should show. The appearances are 

 there but the}^ must be searched for. In other particulars the 

 book is excellent, and a welcome addition to the few really com- 

 mendable manuals on the subject. Every medical microscopist, 

 especially everyone working over pathological matter unaided 

 will find it a real assistance, as its instructions are actually in- 

 structive and show, on their face, that the}' are the work of a 

 practical teacher who writes from the stores of his own experi- 

 ence. It treats of practical pathology, practical bacteriology , 

 morbid histology, and of photography with the microscope, 

 giving the reader plain, elementary instructions in every essen- 

 tial part of the subject. Dr. Gibbes condemns the use of wide 

 angled objectives in the study of morbid histology, and in this 

 he is not in accord with eminent workers elsewhere. But the 

 following quotation may ofl'set this somewhat heterodox 

 opinion, for it contains matter which every would-be micro- 

 scopist should ponder : " The student must remember that 

 there is no royal road to knowledge with the microscope'; ex- 

 pensive apparatus will not help him ; honest hard work is the 

 only thing that will teach him to understand what he sees with 

 his microscope." 



