RECREATIONS WITH THE MICROSCOPE 
IX 
The Use of Spectacles With the 
Microscope. 
On page forty-five of our number for 
August. 1919, we published an article 
entitled, “Do Not Use Spectacles With 
Microscope.” This brought forth three 
letters of protest, perhaps the strongest 
coming from Professor M. A. Bigelow, 
Teachers’ College. Columbia Univer- 
sity, New York. In that he says: 
“It is dangerously misleading to 
many young people to say that ‘spec- 
tacles should never be used with a 
compound microscope.’ That is true 
so far as spectacles are adjusted for old 
age, or for either far-sight or near-sight, 
but it is certainly quite wrong so far 
as astigmatism is concerned. In this 
defect one meridian of the eye is nor- 
mal while the one at right angles is 
either ‘farsighted’ or ‘nearsighted.’ Ob- 
viously the usual microscopic lenses 
cannot adjust to this condition. It is, 
however, possible to have the proper 
lens built into the ocular at consider- 
able expense, but requires great skill in 
using. The alternative is spectacles 
with proper correction for astigmatism 
and some soft cover for the ocular to 
protect the spectacle lens. There is no 
other way to avoid dangerous eye- 
strain. All of the cases in which I have 
found students injuring their eyes by 
not using spectacles with the micro- 
scope were cases of pronounced astig- 
matism. I had the same difficulty in 
my college days until a great specialist 
straightened me out. Evidently you 
and your correspondent are cases with- 
out astigmatism but probably with age- 
sight, because the editor confesses to 
thirty years in microscopy and his cor- 
respondent is a ‘veteran.’ In the in- 
terest of science, and to avoid danger- 
ous practice by numerous young people 
who have astigmatic eyes, I urge a 
prominent correction of the misleading 
statement. 
“The headline in The Guide to Na- 
ture should have read ‘Do not use 
spectacles with the microscope if you 
have far-sight, near-sight or age-sight, 
but by all means use them if you have 
astigmatism.’ That is the only scien- 
tific statement of the whole matter.” 
A similar objection was raised by 
James L. Wolff, Scottsburg, Indiana, 
and also by Edwin Tenney Brewster, 
Andover, Massachusetts. 
Professor M. A. Bigelow referred his 
objection to the Spencer Lens Com- 
pany, of Buffalo, New York, and was 
sustained by them in his opinion that 
the microscope should be used for near- 
sight or far-sight without spectacles, 
but not with eyes affected with astig- 
matism. The Spencer Lens Company 
makes the following suggestion : 
“In fact a great many people who 
have but slight astigmatism work very 
comfortably with the microscope with- 
out their glasses. Unless a person’s 
eyes are very slightly astigmatic we 
would advise using the spectacles, espe- 
cially if there were to be any long con- 
tinued sessions with the microscope. 
Spectacles are not comfortable to work 
with when looking through the micro- 
scope, and perhaps the nicest solution 
would be for the worker to provide a 
lens which would correct the deficien- 
cies of the eyes when used with the 
microscope. Mount this lens in a 
mounting which will slip over the eye- 
piece but at the same time provide a 
means of holding the cylindrical axis at 
a proper angle. Unless some such de- 
vice as this is resorted to, we would 
strongly advise the use of glasses with 
astigmatic eyes.” 
These opinions coming from trust- 
worthy authorities would seem to be 
final, but upon extended correspond- 
ence we find that they are not, but 
that experienced users of the micro- 
scope still maintain that spectacles 
should never be used with any optical 
instrument. One person who has had 
extended experience with the micro- 
scope makes this astonishing state- 
ment : 
“This is the first time in my life that 
I ever heard of an astigmatic person 
even trying to use the microscope. 
Spectacles should never be used with 
any optical instrument. Astigmatism 
and the microscope combined make the 
joke of the season.” 
The delay in publishing anything on 
the subject has been owing to the fact 
that several experts with the micro- 
scope to whom the question has been 
referred have not yet replied. When 
doctors disagree who is to decide? The 
editor surely cannot, but he is still of 
the opinion that spectacles with the 
microscope are pretty nearly if not 
quite an optical joke, because their use 
