Microscopical Essays, 



For differing of fmall infe6ts he had a brafs table, v/hich was 

 made by that excellent artift S. Mufl'chenbrock ; to this table 

 were affixed two brafs arms, moveable at pleafure to any part of 

 it. The upper portion of thefe arms was conftrufled fo as to 

 have a flow vertical motion, by which means the operator could 

 readily alter their height, as he faw molt convenient to his pur- 

 pofe ; the office of one of thefe arms was to hold the little bodies, 

 and that of the other to apply the lens or microfcope. 



His microfcopes, or lenfes, were of various foci, diameters,, 

 and fizes, from the lead to the greater!, and the belt that could 

 be procured in regard to the exaftnefs of the workman fhip, and 

 transparency of the fob Ranee. His way was, to begin his obfer- 

 vations with the fmalleft magnifiers, and from thence proceed by 

 .degrees to the greater!:. By nature and ufe he was fo incom- 

 parably dexterous in the .management of thefe inftruments, that 

 he made every obfervation fubfervient to the next, and all tend 

 to confirm each other, and complete the defcription. 



His chief art feems to have been in conftructing very fine 

 fcifiars, and giving them an extreme fnarpnefs : thefe he made 

 ufe of to cut very minute objects, becaufe they difle&ed them 

 equally ; whereas knives and lancets, let them be ever fo fine and 

 {harp, are apt to diforder delicate fubftances, as in going through 

 them, they generally draw after and difplace fome of the filaments- 

 His knives, lancets, and ftyles, were fo very fine, that he could 

 not fee to f harp en them without the affiftance of a magnifying 

 glafs ; but with them he could di fleet the interlines of bees with 

 the fame accuracy and diftinftnefs that the mod celebrated ana- 

 tomift does thofe of large animals. He was particularly dexterous 



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