14 THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY [January, 



EDITORIAL. 



All coininunicaiio7isfor this Journal, whether relating to business or to editorial 

 matters, arid all books, pamphlets, exchanges, etc., should be addressed to Ameri- 

 can Monthly Microscopical Journal, Washingtoti, D. C. 



The Needs of American Microscopy. — The first and great 

 need is a profonnd avva]<.ening among students, tcacliers, workers, and 

 all inquiring minds to the value and possibilities of this branch of 

 human knowledge. It is amazing that out of one hundred thousand 

 physicians in this country, not one of whom can be a competent prac- 

 titioner without being able to use the microscope continually, not two 

 thousand take a microscopical journal, and not a hundred are members 

 of the American Microscopial Society. Out of thousands of teachers 

 of physics or biology in the schools and colleges, not over ten per cent, 

 show an interest in microscopy. But one National Society exists here 

 devoted to the subject, and its average annual attendance is less than 

 75 members, while the number of papers read at the Washington 

 meeting of 1S91 was less than a score. 



The second need, and it is one which would help realize the first, as 

 it is also one to natui^ally follow the realization of the first, is a truly 

 national periodical devoted to the subject. Two competitors for this 

 place may be said to exist: this Journal and 7^/ie JMicroscope. On 

 many accounts it would have been far better had the field been left to 

 either one, as the combined patronage would make nearly twice as 

 good a monthly as either one is, but both are here and they are here to 

 stay, and, at least while under present managment. to live happily and 

 peaceably side by side, rejoicing each in its owmi and also each in the 

 other's prosperity, and furthermore we shall not cov^r the same ground 

 nor feel content that our subscribers take but one of the two periodicals. 

 We urge you all to take both, and we make you a slight financial 

 inducement to do so. 



The third need, and that is a pressing one and which this Journal 

 will undertake to supply, is for American microscopists to be able to 

 see a monthly resume of the world's news, progress, and discoveries in 

 microscopy. We accordingly extend this month the plan of brief notes 

 heretofore entered upon, and hereafter hope to much more fully cover 

 the field. There are about 40 publications of a periodical character 

 which we shall attempt to epitomize for you, giving in brief the gist of 

 their contents, when not too abstruse and when capable of being ab- 

 stracted, but distributing the items under our various headings as here- 

 tofore. If the American microscopists generally could afford to take 

 the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society at an expense of $7.50 

 per annum and could spend the time to go through its 900 pages, our 

 course would not be absolutely necessary — only a national pride. But 

 this is out of the question. So far as inquiry reveals to us, not over one 

 per cent, of our readers take that journal, and not ov«r 100 copies come 

 to this country all told. Additionally, it is a quarterly with immensely 

 varied matter, and time is lost in transit. 



With the growth of patronage and enthusiasm, we shall be able to 

 increase our pages in number, and to reach out, more and more towards 

 the full realization of that need. But the beginning must be made now. 



