i6o 
SCIENCE. 
MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF 
MICROSCOPISTS AT DETROIT. 
The third annual meeting of this society began at Detroit 
Tuesday, August 171b. The meeting was held in the 
Detroit Female Seminary, a building well adapted to the 
purpose, as, besides the large hall where the regular ses- 
sions were held, it was we 1 provided with rooms of suffi- 
cient capacity for the accommodation of the leading manu- 
facturers of microscopes and accessories, thus enabling 
them to make a fine exhibit of the latest and most approved 
forms of instruments and accessories. This, we may men- 
tion, is an interesting feature of the meetings of this 
society, which, if not carried too far, may be productive of 
a great amount of value to microscopic students in enabling 
them to examine a large variety of instruments and appa- 
ratus, which otherwise could not be done without visiting 
the leading centres of manufacture at considerable expense. 
The meeting was opened bv the retiring president, Dr. R. 
H. Ward, of Trov.N.Y., introducing to the society the pres- 
dent-elect, Prof. H. L. Smith, of Geneva. N. Y. After the 
applause which greeted the new president had subsided, 
prayer was offered by the Rev. W. W. Hammond, of 
Detroit. 
Prof. E. C. Wetmore, president of the Griffith Club of 
Microscopy, on behalf of that club, extended to the visiting 
society an address of welcome, and then introduced the 
Hon. J. J. Bagley, who stated that it was with pleasure he 
welcomed the visitors to the beautiful city of Detroit. 
Regular business was then taken up. Secretary Prof. 
A. H.Tuttleannounced that the Executive Committee had 
recommended to membership the following gentlemen, who 
were elected : Hiram A. Cutting, Linenburgh, Vt. ; J. W. 
Crumbaugh, M.D., Lancaster, Pa. ; Jno. Phinn, Esq., Edi- 
tor American Journal of Microscopy , New York City ; L. R. 
Sexton, Rochester, N. Y ; S. O. Gleason, M.D., Elmira, 
N. Y. ; T. S. Updegraff, M. D., Elmira, N. Y. ; Lee H. 
Smith, M.D., Buffalo, N. Y. ; F. O. Jacobs, Newark, Ohio ; 
W. G. Lapham, Norihville, Mich. ; Nathan W. Lord, Co- 
lumbus, Ohio; Sydney H. Short, Denver, Colorado; Gen. 
Wm. Humphrey and J. F. Main? M.D., Jackson, Mich. ; O. 
W. Owen, M.D., Prof. E. C. Wetmore, Chas. R. Ferris and 
Fred Seymour, Detroit, Mich. 
AFTERNOON SESSION. 
The meeting was called to order bv President Smith, and 
the proceedings commenced by Mr. George E. Fell, of Buf- 
falo, N. Y., who gave a description of a series of plates he 
had prepared to illustrate on a large scale the structure of 
the human tooth. The speaker said these plates constituted 
a series of enlarged sectional drawings (cut transversely) 
exhibiting the structure, microscopical and general, of a 
human molar tooth. The average size of the drawings is six 
inches square. 
Beginning with a top view of the crown surface of the 
tooth the student is successively introduced to the structure 
and conformation of the enamel, cementum, dentine and 
pulp cavity, up to the fangs of the tooth, as located in the 
alveolus of the superior maxillary bone. Mr. Fell stated 
that the drawings were prepared from a series of sections 
of a tooth prepared by himself for the microcsopical study 
of its structure. His object in preparing them was to 
add another to the numerous aids offered to the medical 
and dental student in becoming acquainted with the 
structure of the human tooth. The plates were made up 
of a series of drawings overlapping each other, and 
finely colored, so that the various sections could be un- 
folded and each successive layer, of the interior structure 
of the tooth, consecutively exhibited. For the purpose of 
locating the positions of the different sections an enlarged 
side-elevation of a tooth (a modified copy of that prepared 
by Dr. F. G.Lemercier, of Paris), was used, upon which the 
position of the sections were defined. 
Professor D. S. Kellicott, of Buffalo, N. Y., read a 
valuable paper upon the “ Lernescera Tortua" a para- 
site harbored by the cat-fish or bull-head, and found in 
the river water near Buffalo. The reader stated that he had 
not found a locality where the parasite was at all abundant. 
He had only one specimen prepared for observation. It was 
found on a fish of ordinary size, and was deeply 
buried in a tumor, caused by its own presence, just 
back of the pectoral fin of the fish. After extraction 
it remained alive for several hours. The parasite could 
be distinguished by the naked eye, but to make out its 
minute structure, the best' lens was required. The 
reader stated that with a Bausch and Lomb y z inch objec- 
tive of 98° angular aperture he had obtained the best 
results, making out structure which he was unable to see 
satisfactorily with lenses of a lower angular aperature. A 
very full description was given of this newly described 
Lemeoceran, and the whole address was attentively listened 
to by those present. A paper of this description by Prof. 
Kellicott, is specially valuable from the fact that he is one 
of the best authorities upon the subject of fish parasites in 
the country, having discovered many new species on fish 
inhabiting the inland lakes and rivers. 
The next paper was on "The Relation of Medium-Power 
Objectives to Micro-Biology,” by Mr. W. G. Lapham, of 
Northville, Michigan. The paper was of interest to stu- 
dents, giving the effects of the use of different objectives, 
and was full of hints and statements deduced from obser- 
vation and the speaker’s experience. The author thought 
that there ought to be a great National University, with a 
library and professors of Microscopy, and indeed of everv 
branch of that particular science. The deduction from the 
essay was that with a “four-tenth objective any one could 
see all that they wanted to in micro-biological research.” 
It is quite unnecessary to state that this view was con- 
troverted by many present. While it may be admitted that 
with a properly constructed wide angled -fo objective, very 
much that is ordinarily observed in micro-biological work 
may be seen, when eye pieces of different powers are used. 
To confine the work of the microscope of to-day to such 
powers as might be obtained with these combinations 
would obliterate, to a great extent, the widest field at pres- 
ent open to the microscopic student in original research 
President Smith commented upon the paper and raised 
objections to some of the views propounded. Secretary 
Tuttle also differed with the author on some points of his 
essay. 
Mr. C. M. Vorce, of Cleveland, Ohio, read a papei on 
“ Penetration of Objectives ; Is it a Defect or an Advant- 
age?” This paper was a very sensible resuml of a subject 
which has occupied the minds of microscopists for a long 
period of time, and upon which differences of opinion 
still exist. Mr. Vorce took the ground that there is yet 
work for the penetrating lens as well as the lens of wide 
angle with less penetration. Of the two series he would 
prefer the wide angled, defining, comparatively non-pene- 
trating lenses, if the microscopist was unable to possess 
both series. 
Following the election of new members the Society ad- 
journed until 10 o’clock Wednesday morning. 
The second day’s session opened with a good attendance 
of members and visitors. 
After the reading of minutes, etc., the executive commit- 
tee reported the following as approved applicants for mem- 
bership: The Rev. Wm. D’Orville Doty, Rochester, N. Y. ; 
Rosa M. Redding, Newcastle, Ind. ; Chas. Shepard, M. D., 
Grand Rapids, Mich. ; W. B. Sprague, M. D., Detroit ; Allen 
Y. Moore, Coldwater, Mich. ; W. G. White, Buffalo, N. Y. ; 
William A. Clapp, New Albany, Ind. ; John Sloane, New 
Albany, Ind.; Richard J. Mohr, Fairfield, Iowa; Albert 
McCalla, Fairfield, Iowa. The gentlemen named were ac- 
cordingly elected members of the society. 
Prof. C. M. Vorce read the first paper of the day, which 
was entitled “ The Microscopic Examination of Writings for 
the detection of forgery,” etc. 
The speaker treated the subject at length, saying that he 
had a great deal of interest in the matter, and directed his 
attention both to the verification and signatures and general 
writing. He had considered, first, the general characteris- 
tics of writing ; second, special characteristics, modifica- 
tions of, or departures from, general characteristics. There 
were five elements which determined the character of a 
person’s handwriting: The paper, the pen, the ink, the 
personal qualifications of the writer, and the conditions 
under which the writing was done. Any one of these 
being changed from the ordinary conditions, the micro- 
scopic conditions of the writing were almost sure to be 
changed also. So far as the paper is concerned, its glazed 
