254 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [November, 



Microscopical Notes From Europe. — I. 



By CHARLES W. SMILEY, 



WASHINGTON, D C 



Dui-ing our recent stay in London we paid a visit to tiie store of W. 

 Watson & Sons, at 313 High Holborn, and were surprised to find the 

 immense trade this firm is doing in microscopes and apparatus, 

 cameras and other optical goods. We were afforded an opportunity 

 of inspecting the various workshops and seeing the goods in course of 

 manufacture. We had expected to have to go to Germany to see the 

 manufacture of optical instruments on such a large scale. Although 

 we were aware that Messrs. Watson & Sons had large workshops, our 

 anticipations of their size and of the number of hands employed did 

 not rise to the actual magnitude. Their factories at 9, 10, and 11 Ful- 

 wood's Rents, Holborn, occupy an area of 6,000 square feet, the 4 

 floors giving an area of about 24,000 square feet. Here we saw ma- 

 chinery of the most ingenious description, in man}- instances devised 

 specially by the firm for the work, running by steam-power, including 

 moulding and saw^ing machines, planing machines, drilling machines, 

 a large press, etc., etc. Here also we saw photographic lenses being 

 mounted and centered, and every description of brass work for both op- 

 tical instruments and cameras in course of making and finishing. On 

 other floors we witnessed the French polishing of cameras and the 

 whole jDrocess of making these instruments for which Messrs. Watson 

 are noted throughout the world. We then went to the workshops 

 over the store, where the microscopes are fixed up, and we saw in course 

 of manufacture the diflerent forms of Edinburgh Student's microscopes, 

 the new Van Heurck microscope for photo-micrography and high pow- 

 er — their largest size. No. i, swinging substage microscope ; and having 

 seen the care, order, and method adopted in ever}^ detail, we do not 

 wonder that their work is so much appreciated. We then went into 

 the glass-grinding ohop and saw there being worked objectives varying 

 in power from i in., to i-i2th in. ; also photographic lenses of all sizes. 

 We also saw the system adopted of testing for centrality of the lenses 

 composing an object-glass, it being, of course, absolutely necessary 

 that the ajfes of all the lenses shall be exactly coincident. We then, 

 with one of the Edinburgh Student's microscopes, had a look through 

 some finished objectives, and must say they require a lot of beating, 

 while for price they are far cheaper than any obtainable in America. 

 Notwithstanding all the facilities that Messrs. Watson have, the de- 

 mand for their goods is so great that they have had to build specially 

 for their work an additional factor}', Nos. i6 and 17 Fulwood's Rents, 

 which is nearly ready for occupation, and which will permit of their 

 employing nearly double the number of hands (at present considerably 

 over 100), when they hope to be able to fill their orders directly after 

 they are received. There appears to be any amount of energy in this 

 firm, and we feel safe in prophesying a big future for it. We advise 

 all our readers to get their catalogues of instruments and microscopic 

 objects (which we are informed will be mailed free), and see for them- 

 selves the variety of patterns of microscopes they make, all of which are 

 of beautiful workmanship, and as they advertise them, " perfect in 

 every detail." 



Paris, August 3, 1891. 



