1900J MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 163 



ficient as to meet all the demands of his medical friends, 

 and thus earn their gratitude and perhaps something more 

 tangible. In many commercial centers where textile fab- 

 rics are handled there is a constant need for assistance in 

 discovering the component parts of fabrics. Merchants 

 are often dependent upon tricks, which have no scientific 

 basis, to guide them in appraising the value of the textiles 

 they handle. Whenever they can obtain demonstrative 

 evidence of the presence or absence of certain fibres in 

 their fabrics, they are quick to appreciate the help. This 

 is a field of usefulness the pharmacist who lives in the 

 proper districts should at once annex to his domain. The 

 characters of cotton, silk, wool and linen, as seen under 

 the microscope, are easily apprehended. Now that lustro- 

 cellulose, mercerized cotton and weighted silk are so com- 

 mon, the aid a pharmacist can render by the use of his 

 microscope should have a distinct commercial value. 



The microscopical examination of articles of food, such 

 as coffee, cocoa, flour and tea, can very well be undertaken 

 along with the general work of the pharmacy. In the case 

 of coffee, cocoa and flour, when the characteristics of the 

 tissues of the genuine materials are mastered, the detec- 

 tion of adulteration is easy, and the substances used for 

 falsification are so few in number that it soon becomes 

 easy to name the adulterants. Where tea is concerned the 

 microscopical examination may entail somewhat more 

 trouble, as in some instances it may be necessary to make 

 sections, and in all cases a careful investigation of the 

 venation is required. There are, however, several works 

 published which will help the microscopist over these 

 difficulties very quickly. 



The examination of water has been purposely avoided, 

 because it demands expensive apparatus and a certain 

 amount of technical training outside the ordinary curric- 

 ulum of the pharmacist. There is no reason why the in- 

 vestigation of deposits in potable waters should not be 



