A NEW TABLE FOR PRACTICAL MICROSCOPY. 



Bv The Rf.v. F. C. LAMISERT. .M.A.. l-.K.l'.S. 



Sooner or later everN- user of a microscope ex- 

 periences the inconvenience of the usual height 

 (30 inches) of a writing table when it is required 

 for a microscope witii the tube in a vertical position. 

 One feels the need either of a lower table, or an extra- 



1-IGURE 1. 



high seated chair. To meet 

 this difficulty, some time ago 

 I designed a table and had 

 it made by a local cabinet 

 maker. One or two subse- 

 quent and trifling alterations 

 have yielded me a perfectK- 

 satisfactorv piece of furni- 

 ture, which I propose to 

 illustrate now somewhat 

 fully, b\- means of photo- 

 graphs, so that an\- working 

 carpenter should be able 

 to repeat the apparatus 

 in design, and modify its 

 dimensions to suit the needs 

 of his employer, bv com- 

 paring the various illustra- 

 tions one with another. 



The photograjihs had to 

 be taken somewhat hur- 

 riedly in a quite small room, 

 camera without a swing back. 



llGURE 



sized Smith-Premier t\'pewriter which is here 

 stored out of the w a\- w hen not in use. .\bove this is 

 apparenth' a handleless drawer, hereinafter explained. 

 On our right is a knob by which one pulls out a flat 

 slide which gives extra table room. Below this are 

 two drawers, the upper, two and a quarter inches, 

 the lower four and a half inches deep inside. The 

 upper holds slips, dissecting tools and so on. The 

 lower is nested with card divisions for bottles. 

 Below, on the right, is a cupboard sixteen and a half 

 inches high — amph' tall enough to take any <irdinary 

 full-sized microscope case. .\t the back of this 

 cupboard are two narrow shelves for sundries, larger 

 bottles and so on. One of m\' difficulties was in 

 obtaining sufficienth' small and low castors, of which 

 six are needed. 



Figure 2 shows the end flap raised and draw- 

 slide partly pulled forward. 



Figure :> shows that the table top is cut and 

 joined b\' " counter hinges." The left-hand part 

 is folded flat over the right-hand portion of the 



table top. This folded-over 

 l)art forms an excellent rest 

 for bottles and sundries. To 

 our left is seen a box-like 

 recess. 



In Figure 4 \se see that 

 the front side of this box- 

 hke arrangement has been 

 rcmo\ed and is laid on the 

 table top. Behind one end is 

 put a post card to act as back- 

 ground, and show the tongued 

 end of this piece. We here 

 also see the groove into which 

 tliis tongued end slides. 



In Figure 5 we see the 

 microscope resting on the 

 flat top above the typewriter 

 shelf, four inches lower than 

 the writing table top — i.e.. 

 twent\-six inches from the 



and with a hand 

 These limitations 

 will account for an obvious but slight distortion 

 effect, which gives the table a tilted forward and 

 enlarged top appearance. Some apologies are 



needed for the dust sheet background. Figure 1 

 shows a full face view of the table when in use for 

 writing, and so on. Hei^'ht from floor to top, including 

 castors, thirty inches, length thirty-six inches, width 

 twenty-four inches. The end flap shown hanging 

 down on our right gives another eight inches length 

 when it is raised on its side folding bracket. An 

 ordinar}- half sheet blotting pad on the top gives one 

 an idea of scale size. In the knee-hole part to the 

 left is a shelf just wide enough to take a full- 



I-'ic.fRi; 



340 



