OBJECTIVES AND OCULARS 9 



attainable by short wave-lengths in the application of ultra- 

 violet light (X 2 5oo±) to photomicrography. In this way a 

 resolving power of three times that obtainable with red light 

 (X 75ooi) may theoretically be obtained. Since ordinary glass 

 is practically opaque to rays below X 3000, it is essential that 

 the condenser, objectives, oculars, object slides, etc., be made 

 of quartz. For similar reasons quartz is preferable to glass in 

 all ultramicroscopy, moreover, most glass exhibits a marked 

 violet fluorescence under the influence of ultraviolet rays; quartz 

 does not. 



SELECTING OBJECTIVES. 



It is evident from the above briefly outlined considerations 

 that the choice of an objective of a given equivalent focus and 

 magnification must depend upon the nature of the work the 

 objective will be required to perform. In microchemical analy- 

 sis, because of the rather unusual conditions which obtain, objec- 

 tives must be selected with special reference to long working 

 distance and great depth of focus; the brightness of field and the 

 resolving power necessarily lost are, in this class of work, of 

 little importance, since only low powers are employed and the 

 indices of refraction of objects and surrounding medium are 

 generally sufficiently different to permit an easy study of the 

 preparations. When magnifications of from 300 to 500 are 

 required in microchemical examinations, difficulty will be experi- 

 enced in obtaining suitable objectives unless the prospective 

 purchaser stipulates long working distances, since the working 

 distance of those manufactured for the use of biologists is far 

 too short to permit their application to the study of uncovered 

 and therefore thick drops of liquid. 



For the study of objects lying in a single plane, for polished 

 surfaces, rulings, fine etchings, etc., in which sharpness of out- 

 line and delicacy of structure or tracery are present, flatness of 

 field and high numerical aperture are essential. Our choice is, 

 consequently, here restricted to aplanatics or to apocliromatics, 

 bearing in mind the fact that the resolving power of an immersion 

 objective, where applicable, is greater than that of a dry one. 



