184 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [August, 



names of those who are using the microscope on thin rock sections. 

 These are J. P. Iddings, Arnold Hague, Whitman Cross, G. F. Becker, 

 J. S. Diller, and J. Stanley Brown. 



At his desk in the Patent Office, we had an interesting chat with 

 Dr. Wm. H. Seaman. His specialty is cryptogamic botany, and he 

 has a fine herbarium ; but just now his microscope is directed to the 

 light-giving apparatus of the fire-fly. 



At the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Prof Edgar Richards has charge 

 of a very fine instrument, which, with its accessories, cost something 

 like $1,200. It is used in examinations for food adulteration. 



In the U. S. Fish Commission, of course, the bulk of microscopic 

 work is done at the stations on the coast or on shipboard. Here the 

 principal work that requires the microscope is the identifying of minute 

 forms of marine life, and studying the diseases of fishes. Dr. R. R. 

 Gurley has jus^; been taking a course with Dr. Gray, preparatory to 

 studying the fungi that attack fishes. Mr. Richard Rathbun has for a 

 specialty, free-swimming and parasitic Copepods. Dr. H. M. Smith 

 is interested in the microscopy of blood-stains, and in general histology. 

 He is assistant to Dr. Blackburn, at Georgetown University. Mr. 

 James E. Benedict, assistant curator at the Museum, is also interested 

 in marine life, making a specialty of the marine annelids of the Atlan- 

 tic coast. 



Dr. I. W. Blackburn, of the Insane Asylum, has done superlative 

 work in the histology of the nervous system. It is said that his sec- 

 tions of whole brains cannot be beaten. He is professor of general 

 pathology and histology in Georgetown University, and with him are 

 associated Dr. Robert T. Edes, who is an expert microscopist. Dr. 

 John J. Staflbrd, and Dr. W. S. Bowen, both of whom use the tube. 



Howard University has a goodly number of microscopists on its 

 faculty list, among whom may be mentioned Dr. D. S. Lamb, who is 

 curator of the Army and Medical Museum ; Dr. J. Melvin Lamb, lec- 

 turer on microscopy and histology ; Dr. Seaman ; Dr. Thomas B. 

 Hood, who, we are sorry to say, is on the sick-list (he has been 

 trying Koch's lymph on some patients at the Garfield Hospital, and 

 has not a word to say in its praise) ; Dr. Robert Reyburn, who is just 

 now at work in micro-photography ; and Dr. E. A. Balloch,a lover of 

 microscopy, but now so engrossed in practice that his microscopic 

 work is mainly confined to examinations necessitated by daily routine. 

 This is apt to be the case with the busy practitioner everywhere. The 

 cares of this world and the deceitfulness of poverty choke out pure 

 science. 



The National Medical College has among its faculty Dr. Gray, Dr. 

 Shute, and Dr. Acker, the histologist. 



At Kendall Green, too. Prof. Chickering, the genial and enthusiastic 

 botanist, has a fine microscope, and uses it. 



Prof. Edward S. Burgess, of the High vSchool, well-known botanist, 

 gives attention to the fresh-water algae of the District of Columbia. 

 At work in the various departmental buildings are many men who 

 spend their evenings at the binocular. The unpretentiousness of some 

 of these workers is delightful. They are not microscopists. Oh, no. 

 They use the instrument simply for amusement. But after a little 

 friendly visiting, they will show you some method, device, or speci- 

 men that will excite your emulation to the highest degree. 



