1892.] THE MICROSCOPE. 179 



tos versus ciliated epithelia. One gentleman showed me a French 

 physiology where these forms were figured as deformed epithelia 

 found in the grip {Ja grippe). Dr. Leidy, in 1879, came out 

 and took the same position and gave figures of the forms he had 

 observed in the excretions of patients. These statements were 

 enough to satisfy them and those who did not use the microscope 

 in favor of ciliated epithelia deformed. 



3. Some years ago an eminent physician said he had seen an 

 infusion of grass under the microscope and these were just such 

 forms as were figured in my cuts. He said that grass infusion 

 probably had been mixed with the excretions. 



4. I was called to see a child two years old said to have lung 

 fever. Face red and countenance expressive of great suffering ; 

 incessantly and noisily coughing and raising ; body hot ; pulse 

 normal ; breathing normal when not coughing. From the pulse 

 and respiration I doubted the pneumonia. Down her upper lip 

 ran considerable thin, acrid, watery mucus from both nares. Some 

 of this I scraped off, and by aid of the clinical microscope at 

 once found it swarming with asthmatos ciliaris. I used an 

 atomized saturated watery solution of the benzoate of soda. The 

 case recovered sooner than I wished for. I was anxious to study 

 the unusually lively forms. When I stated this at a medical so- 

 ciety, a brother physician took the ground that these forms were 

 ciliated epithelia, and said he had a slide with some that he had 

 taken that day. He said : '^ Mr. President. I would show them, 

 but I have no microscope." Said I : '• Mr. President, I have a 

 microscope, which is at the gentleman's service." Said he, ad- 

 dressing me : '' Your microscope is not good for anything, and I 

 can't use it." Said I : '' Please let me try for you." I took my 

 clinical microscope with a one-tenth (i-io) inch objective, four 

 systems, 180° angular aperture, made by the late Robert B. 

 Tolles, and found the forms the doctor alluded to. I then handed 

 the microscope to him and he made believe that he looked, and 

 said : •' Mr. President, I can't see anything." I replied : "' Mr. 

 President, I can, and I can furnish microscopes, but not brains." 



Why I believe in the asthmatos and regard the treatment 

 of grip based on this belief as one of the most beneficent and useful 

 American uses of the microscope : 



{a) The asthmatos is not found in ordinary colds. Ciliated 

 epethelia are. Others may, but I have never found deformed 

 ciliated epithelia in motion of body. 



((5) I was never taught that there were ciliated epithelia de- 

 formed. With this exception, including observation above 

 named, I never was taught that ciliated epithelia resembled the 

 asthmatos. If these forms are deformed epithelia, why should it 

 not have been taught to prevent mistakes on my part.^ 



(c) The asthmatos has been found on the mucous membrane 



