1884.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



115 



senschaftliche Mikroskopie. Two 

 numbers have been received at this 

 office, and they are full of very valu- 

 able information, both in the form of 

 original articles and in information 

 relative to special subjects collated 

 from various sources. 



Germany seems to be the great 

 centre of strictly scientific research 

 with the microscope. This we may 

 say without disparagement of the 

 meritorious work that has been done 

 and is in progress in this country and 

 elsewhere. The opportunities for 

 work here are not the same, and con- 

 sequently the number of workers is 

 much smaller. It is with regret we 

 are obliged to confess that there is 

 no demand in this country for a thor- 

 oughlv scientific publication devoted 

 to microscopy. On the contrary, 

 there are those who have complained 

 that even this unpretentious Journal 

 was ' too scientific ' for their tastes and 

 wants. 



Such persons should look over the 

 pages of the Zeitschrift and learn 

 what a vast difierence there must be 

 in the requirements of German and 

 American microscopists. Possibly 

 they would then see that we are far 

 behind Germany in our appreciation 

 of scientific microscopy. 



It is not, nor has it been, our desire 

 to make this Journal of a heavy, 

 scientific character, believing that 

 there is not only a larger demand for 

 a publication such as it is, but also 

 that its good influence ^vill be more 

 widely felt than if it were less popular 

 in tone. Our aim has been to publish 

 a popular journal, giving correct in- 

 formation, keeping abreast of the 

 times, and one that should have a 

 practical value to workers with the 

 mici'oscope. Those ^vho are engaged 

 in research must take foreign journals. 

 It is enough for us if this paper affords 

 sufficient encouragement to research 

 to make the others valued ; and per- 

 haps its influence will lead to a de- 

 mand for something more advanced 

 in this country. Much excellent mi- 

 croscopical work is in progress here, 



and we inay hope for an American 

 journal at some future time that shall 

 be an exponent of American investi- 

 gations in biology, histology, and mi- 

 croscopy generally. 



Only two numbers of the Zeit- 

 schrift have been issued, but it is 

 already one of our most valued ex- 

 changes. 



o 



Electric Light for Micro- 

 scopy. — The electric light bids fair 

 to become the light of the future, as 

 it is already superseding all other 

 artificial lights in large cities. No 

 one can foresee the great possibilities 

 in the production of electricity on a 

 small scale for economic purposes, 

 but already there are indications that 

 promise well for a method, eventually 

 to be perfected, which will enable 

 electricity for illuminating purposes 

 to be produced without trouble and 

 economically in private residences. 

 Doubtless the problem of electric 

 illumination for single families will 

 soon be fully solved, when the de- 

 mand for electric lights suitable for 

 microscopic work will arise. 



Two important articles upon the 

 use of the electric light in microscopy 

 have just been published in the sec- 

 ond part of the Zeitschrift filr Wiss. 

 Mikroskopie. The first is b}' Dr. 

 Theodor Stein, entitled 'The Use of 

 the Electric Incandescent Light for 

 Microscopical Investigations and Mi- 

 crophotographic Purposes.' The title 

 fully expresses the scope of the arti- 

 cle, which is illustrated with seven 

 fig-ures. The arrangement of a mi- 

 croscope with incandescent lamps I'e- 

 quiring two or three Bunsen cells of 

 20 cm. height to produce the light 

 is described. There are two small 

 lamps, one with a globe of about ^ 

 of an inch in diameter, attached to 

 the mirror-bar in place of the mirror ; 

 the other about an inch in diameter, 

 attached to a jointed arm fixed to the 

 body of the microscope for use above 

 the stage. The wires are so arranged 

 that the current can be instantly 

 passed from one lamp to the other. 



