62 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Fel.., 



write and publish, am' way, more books and journals than the 

 rest have opportunity to study to advantage. R. H. Ward, 

 Troy. N. Y. 



Spores in Syphilitic Blood. — Dr. E. Cutter, writes : " I have 

 for the first time in a medical college demonstrated at the Boston 

 College P. and S. on the screen the saltating spores of syphilitic; 

 Blood." 



EDITORIAL. 



The Microscope in School. — At Mr. Moodj^'s school in 

 Northfield, a i)Upll says that they examine the blood of his pu- 

 pils with the microscope as a part of the instruction, which is a 

 move in the right direction. The time is coming when micro- 

 scopes will be as common as pianos and organs in houses. If 

 pupils of preparatory schools learn how to study the form ele- 

 ments in blood, it is high time that the medical profession see to 

 it that they are not left behind. 



A Chance to Use the Microscope to Save Cattle.— Yester- 

 day January 18, seventeen fine cattle were killed on Ex- Vice 

 President Morton's farm. We have not learned the results, but 

 if the morphology of the blood in tubuculosis is the same as in 

 man, it is possible to tell from the blood whether the cows are 

 tul)Uculous or not. Some recent trials of this kind came out won- 

 derfully correct as verified by the post mortem examinations. 



MICROSCOPICAL APPARATUS. 



A Big Microtone. — At Chicago was shown by the Univer- 

 sity of Pennsylvania a giant microtome used for cutting micro- 

 scope sections through the entire brain. The object to be sec- 

 tioned is fixed at the end of a very heavy lever and allowed to 

 sink down upon the edge of a broad knife, the blade of which 

 is parallel to the side of the lever. The section as it comes off 

 is caught on a sloping sheet of ]ia])er. 



Wax Models of Microsco})ic Objects. — .\ method of 

 making models in wax has been devised as follows : A camera 

 drawing is made of each section in the series. The j)aper, which 

 is very tliin, is then attached to a sheet of wax. F<»r an enlarge- 

 ment of Iwcnty-five, the wax must be twentv-five times as thick 



