122 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Apr. 



EDITORIAL. 



Prof. Gage's New Book on the Microscope. — In the 



March number of the Journal a brief notice was given of the 

 fifth edition of •' The Microscope and Microscopical Methods," 

 by Prof. S. H. Gage which had just appeared. A fuller and 

 more careful examination of this book has shown it to be poss- 

 essed of such a high degree of excellence that we wish to call 

 ihe attention of our readers to the fact that America has now 

 produced a work on the microscoi^e which will compare more 

 than favorably with any of the productions of European writers 

 on this subject. Although the book was prepared primarily for 

 the laboratory student, it contains such a vast amount of infor- 

 mation concerning every part of the microscope and its func- 

 tions that it deserves a place among the reference books of 

 science. To the student or physician who wishes to study the 

 tnicroscope we can recommend it with a feehng of assurance, 

 that if it is carefully read and its directions followed no diffi- 

 culty will be experienced in the manipulation of this instru- 

 ment. It is a practical book. It is concise and especially clear 

 in its definitions of the various technical terms necessar}'- for a 

 working knowledge of the microscope. We are more than de- 

 lighted that such an admirable work has come within the 

 reach of everyone, and we hope that the diligence and enthusi- 

 asm which has characterized the author in his most successful 

 labors to render more intelligible the " mysteries " of the mi- 

 croscope, may be imparted with equal success to all of its read- 

 ers. With such a practical adjunct as this volume in which is 

 brought together all that is essential from the scattered litera- 

 ture on the subject the student of the microscope must succeed 

 if persistent in his labors. The Journal is much gratified, in 

 its ever persistent efforts to present the needs of a knowledge of 

 the microscope, and its practical application to the attention of 

 students, teachers and physicians to be able to recommend this 

 masterly production of Prof. Gage. In fact, every microscopist 

 should possess a copy of this work and every student of the 

 microscope should read it carefully. We would emphasize in 

 reference to all subjects in which the microscope is used, the 

 comment of the Rev. W. H. Dallinger on the former edition of 

 this work. " In short, this treatise lavs the foundation for a 



