THE MICROSCOPE AND, ITS PARTS. I3 



Strain caused by an absence of that sharpness and 

 brilliancy characteristic of the image formed by even 

 low-priced American objectives, and in the time 

 wasted while unconsciouly forming erroneous conclu- 

 sions from objects so imperfectly seen. 



The writer jnay be somewhat emphatic on this 

 point, butheknows whereof he speaks, for he began the 

 use of the microscope with French triplets, and em- 

 ployed them for years, because he was ignorant and 

 had no teacher. What the cost was to him he knows 

 only too well. To the young student who longs for a 

 microscope, I am almost tempted to say, if you cannot 

 afford the cheapest suitable low-power American ob- 

 jective, if you must have the ordinary French triplet 

 or none, take none. It is a hard fate, but is not life 

 itself hard ? Fortunately, however, these inferior com- 

 mercial lenses are not extensively in the market at the 

 present day. Yet the purchaser of a microscope al- 

 ready fitted out with objectives, should inquire if he 

 is buying French triplets. If so, then as his experi- 

 ence, knowledge, and skill increase, so will his dissatis- 

 faction increase.. An intelligent boy had been using 

 these poor lenses for some time, and doing work that, 

 under the circumstances, was commendable, when he 

 for the first time , looked through a good low-power 

 (one-inch) objective. After a momentary examina- 

 tion, he glanced at me in a wondering way as he said : 

 "How beautifully bright and clear it looks ! My mi- 

 croscope is different, I think it needs cleaning !" 



Modern objectives are the result of the most consum- 

 mate skill of the accomplished optician. There is no 

 chance work in his methods. Every curve is mathe- 

 jmatically exact, and is calculated and positively known 



