1897J MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 285 



the arm-pits. At the same time they show all the signs 

 of a light i^eneral infection, — headache, insomnia, fever, 

 chilliness and loss of appetite. It is stated that the horses 

 are cured in about twelve days and they have no discharge 

 from the nose neither any signs of pulmonary affection. 

 Yet this disease was credited for some time to farcin for 

 the examination of different specimens of pus from dif- 

 ferent horses, taken with precaution in sterilized pipettes 

 have shown, under the microscope, the bacillus short, 

 in little ciiaius, in a clean space, characteristic of the 

 glanders. But cultar<r!S upon gelatine and boulion give 

 only "staphylocoques dores purs." It is a question 

 then what this horse epidemic is. 



The Physician and his Microscope. 



By a. a. young, M. D., 

 nkwaek n. y. 



One of the most expensive and one of the most useless 

 pieces of office furniture that the ordinary physician pos- 

 seses is his microscope. It usually occupies a most com- 

 manding and conspicuous place in the office and decora- 

 ted with "fuss and feathers;" valueless as an educator, 

 valuable for the macroscopical appearances of the micro- 

 scope, for it is capable of })roducing wonder and awe to 

 tlie office visitor and shekels to the pocket of the physician. 



Nothing can be said against the microscope as an 

 instrument, for its value resides in its intelligent use, 

 and unless used intelligently it becomes worse than use- 

 less, distorting facts and fancies alike, from which the 

 observer can form no concept, can draw no conclusion 

 save an erroneous one. The physician has to deal with 

 the organic worhl, with those material forms in which 

 resides that peculiar, unresolvable and unknowable agent 

 we call life, and without which matter becomes eomparn- 

 tively valueless. 



