PREFACE 



Owing to the more complete knowledge of the subject gained by the experience of 

 years, and perhaps in a measure to the advent of the perfected dry plate, Photography 

 is being rapidly pressed into use to an extent hitherto little dreamed of In point of 

 fact, it may be said to have started in times past as an interesting amusement, 

 but has now become an absolutely scientific and commercial necessity. Indeed, if we 

 look around, we shall readily recognise this to be true, for there is scarcely any 

 science nowadays that does not in some way seek its aid. 



But it is of quite recent years that book illustrations of the highest order have 

 been made by this method. Fine hand drawings of objects as seen in the microscope, 

 for example, used to be all in demand, but now Photo-Micrography has stepped in 

 their place, and pictures are produced with an accuracy hitherto unknown. They 

 leave, too — which is a great advantage — no doubt in the reader's mind as to the 

 accuracy of the final result, for even the most captious critic is unable to state his 

 belief that some of the details have been produced by the imagination of the artist, 

 or by an exaggerated conception of an over-enthusiastic draughtsman. 



But, like almost any art or science which reaches to a high degree of perfection, 

 Photo-Micrography cannot be learnt in a moment, for it requires both knowledge and 

 patience, practice and skill, to carry it out successfully. 



It is to help those commencing the subject, and assist others who may be 

 anxious to achieve the highest results, that this little book has been written. It 

 consists, to a certain extent, of a collection of articles written at the request of the 

 Proprietors of the Pharmaceutical Journal, and the Author desires to express his 

 thanks to them, not only for their kindness in allowing him to reproduce the subject- 

 matter in book form, but also for granting the Publishers of this work a free use of 

 all the blocks and photographs which they had the kindness to reproduce as plates in 

 the articles to which reference has been made. . ^ 



