18 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Jan 



veals the true nature of many diseases— hence what a 

 beautiful and useful thing it is to settle' so many points 

 that are a great trouble to the physician. 



The younger graduates in medicine have received in- 

 struction in practical microscopy and bacteriology, but the 

 older ones did not enjoy the same advantages when per- 

 suing their medical education. If, therefore, the senior 

 practitioner expects to continue his calling as an up-to- 

 date man, he must dig it out himself, with the aid of good 

 modern text-books, and earnest personal effort. This is 

 not a difficult matter if given intelligent study. We too 

 often imagine a scientific subject hard to master, but af- 

 ter starting we are surprised that our interest and 

 pleasure therein has made it easy, and gradually and al- 

 most unconciously we progress toward the end of a com- 

 plete and practical knowledge of our subject. 



The first necessity is a goodmodern instrument and a few 

 good objectives — this is vital to success — for inferior in- 

 struments will only hinder and discourage the worker. 

 With a little attention to details and the directions fur- 

 nished with instruments, one is soon able to acquire suf- 

 ficient skill in manipulation to begin the study of simple 

 objects. Starting with such clinical work as the micro- 

 scopical examination of urine, and a careful study of 

 urinary crystals, deposits, tube casts, pus corpuecles, etc., 

 he is soon ready and anxious to take up a higher class of 

 work, such as the examination of the blood. With these 

 studies one may readily acquire sufficient skill in the 

 manipulation of a good instrument to do all ordinary work 

 in practical microscopy. As the interest increases the 

 pleasure also grows and one soon finds his enthusiasm a 

 strong stimulant to greater effort and better work. 



I shall now briefly allude to a few of the uses of the 

 microscope that will serve to make us better physicians, 

 to increase our interest in our calling, and to render us 

 more worthy the confidence and esteem of our fellow 



