CORRESPONDENCE. 
163 
gescliichte der Tliiere,’ as confirming the opinion expressed by 
Professor Holmes in the portion of his address which you quote. 
“ My investigations have led me on much more rapidly since I 
have commenced observing with a lens of five lines focal distance, 
under which I can work with both hands, upon the embryo lying in a 
watch - glass full of water. I have used for this purpose a pocket 
microscope made by Adams, of London, which can be used not only 
as a simple microscope with from one to three lenses, but also as a 
compound microscope. I have but seldom added one or two glasses 
to the first, seldom used the tube of the compound microscope, and 
only very seldom had recourse to a more powerful microscope, and 
then generally without obtaining the desired result.” (Erster Theil, 
S. 146.) 
Was not this the verdict of the time upon the microscope as an 
aid in medical studies? 
Professor Holmes endeavoured to impress upon the infant Society 
the necessity of regarding the instrument as an aid in scientific 
research, and to warn the members from regarding it of itself as an 
end. The latter tendency is displayed in a characteristic manner in 
the article by Dr. J. G. Hunt, quoted in the same July number of 
your Journal. 
We endeavour as a Society to discourage this worship of objectives 
that has fostered only a dilettante microscopy, leaving us to boast of 
our glasses while we arc barren of results that should have crowned 
their use. We hope to encourage a more symmetrical growth by 
fostering a demand for instruments for laboratory work, and thus to 
develope a branch of microscopy that has been fearfully neglected in 
America and not more than satisfactorily cultured in England. 
Professor Holmes speaking from his eminence in literature gave us 
sounder advice to this end than we should have received from those 
who would have addressed us fresh from the midst of their eager 
battles concerning angle of aperture and definition. 
Our skilful workers on diatoms and test lines deserve the 
heartiest praise ; they have done much to favour the production of 
glasses of the highest quality, they have accomplished much for the 
histology of the future : but the histology of to-day, in our own 
country at least, is in such an embryonic condition, that we feel that 
much of our effort must be given to fostering it. 
Very respectfully yours, 
David Hunt, M.D., 
President of the Boston Microscopical Society. 
