238 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Aug., 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES, 



San Francisco, Cal., Wm. E. Loy, Secretary. 



A2:)ril 5. 1893. — Emmet Rixford, M. D., was elected a member. 

 The cabinet was increased by the addition of various prepara- 

 tions and specimens, including cane sugar in quince jelly and a 

 section of oolitic marble from Lighten, Omaha; moving bubbles 

 in blue stone, from the Essex County Microscopical Society, fos- 

 sil diatoms from L. M. King, Santa Rosa; slide oi Shepherdia, 

 mounted by George Otis Mitchell; diatomaceous earth from St. 

 Peters, Hungary, received from R. Gestheimer, Berlin; turkey 

 liver from Colonel C. Mason Kinne; leaves of Shepperdia cana- 

 densis, from the Iron City Microscopical Society, Pittsburg. 



The library, beside the regular list of periodicals and journals, 

 was augmented by "Manipulation of the Microscope," by 

 Bausch, donated by Charles C. Riedy. A large number of val- 

 uable new book was brought to the attention of members, in- 

 cluding the" Report of the Challenger Expedition on Fora- 

 menifera," "Squire's Methods and Formula?," " Mills' Photogra- 

 jjhy Applied to the Microscope,"" Bousfield's Photo-Microgra- 

 phy," " Behrens' Guide to Microscopy in Botany," translated 

 by Hervey; " Wormley's Micro-Chemistry of Poisons," " Black's 

 Formation of Poisons by Micro-Organisms," and " Senn's Sur- 

 gical Bacteriology." 



Douglass W. Montgomery, M. D., delivered an address on 

 Molhiscum contagiosum, a peculiar cutaneous disease which for 

 years has furnished a topic for microscopical investigation. 

 The disease is not one of painful or fatal issue, and its chief in- 

 terest lies in the changes observed in epithelial cells during its 

 development. It has also served, by its analogy in growth and 

 development to true cancer, to promote investigation and study 

 of that fatal morbid growth in a new direction, and the speaker 

 predicted that the students of cancer had made the preliminary 

 advance which must lead to such knowledge as will enable phy- 

 sicians to prevent if it may not be possible to cure the disease. 

 Dr. Montgomery has prepared several sections of Molluscum 

 contagiosum, which showed prefectly its peculiar develoqment. 

 At the conclusion of the address discussion followed, and some 

 interesting and valuable facts regarding the development of dis- 

 ease germs in the blood corpuscles were elicited. 



