830 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



wliicli he is really entitled. Both of these circumstances have affected 

 his reputation abroad somewhat unfavourably. 



The first is the very large claims in regard to his work put forth for 

 Mr. Fasoldt by some of his friends, and to a certain extent, it must be 

 admitted, by Mr. Fasoldt himself. The second is a rugged and some- 

 what unusual style in his public communications. The latter must be 

 charged wholly to the fact of his inability to convert into felicitous 

 English an essentially German style of speech. 



Mr. Fasoldt was a mechanician of rare skill, and he had that element 

 of character which is almost always found associated with real genius — 

 supreme confidence in his own work. This striking trait of his character 

 was of real advantage to him, since it led him to answer criticism by 

 doing better work in new ways. The improvement in his micrometers 

 is especially noticeable. At one time he claimed that his micrometers 

 had no measurable errors. This was simply an expression of faith in 

 his own work at that time. With more experience he found that he had 

 been too sanguine, and so he set for himself the problem of finding the 

 best way to overcome these errors. It will be admitted by all who have 

 used his micrometers, especially those made within the last five years, 

 that his success in this direction has been remarkable. The fact that 

 Mr. Fasoldt, at one time, thought he had reached a degree of perfection 

 greater than is in reality possible, ought not to be remembered against 

 him. He is not the only person who has had, at different times, too 

 great a degree of confidence in his own work, as the writer can testify 

 from personal experience. 



Mr. Fasoldt maintained great secrecy in regard to his methods of 

 ruling. The writer believes that the secret of his success consisted 

 wholly in his skill in the preparation of his ruling diamonds. There is 

 some evidence, derived from measurements of his rulings, that he did 

 not use a screw. According to my own experience, there is no difficulty 

 whatever in making the mechanical subdivisions of the ruled sj)aces far 

 beyond the ability of the ruling diamond to cut a clean line, which has 

 a width less than the interlinear space. But whatever method Mr. Fasoldt 

 may have employed, the results which he obtained must always command 

 the admiration of microscopists, and the service which he has rendered 

 in micrometry deserves grateful recognition." 



Scottish Microscopical Society.— We are glad to note that a Micro- 

 scopical Society has been founded at Edinburgh under this title with 

 every prospect of a successful career. The following gentlemen are the 

 office-bearers for the current year : — ■ 



President— Tvot Sir William Turner, M.B., F.E.S., LL.D.,Edinburgh. 



Vice-Presidents— Ti'of. J). J. Hamilton, M.B., F.E.S.E,, Aberdeen. 

 Adolf Schulze, F.E.S.E., F.E.M.S., Glasgow. 



Secretaries — Alexander Edington, M.B., CM., Edinburgh. George 

 Brook, F.R.S.E., Edinburgh. 



Treasurer— John M'Fadyean, M.B,, B.Sc, F.E.S.E ,Leith. 



Citmtor— German S. Woodhead, M.D., F.R.C.P.E., F.R.S.E., 

 Edinburgh. 



Coimc/Z— Prof. T. Annandale, F.E.C.S.E., Edinburgh; Prof. I. B. 

 Balfour, M.D., F.E.S., Edinburgh; Prof. W. S. Greenfield, M.D., 

 F.E.C.P., Edinburgh; Prof. J. B. Haycraft, M.D., D.Sc, Edinburgh; 

 James Hunter, F.R.S.E., F.E.A.S., Edinburgh; Eobert Kidston, 



