272 
WONDERS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 
sion of the sciatic nerve, appears to have overlooked its exact 
anatomical distribution. 
“ 7th. The insensibility is caused by the local absorption of 
the mixture. 
“ 8th. This absorption is in certain cases sufficient to pro¬ 
duce death after the lapse of two hours. 
9th. It is not improbable that in infants and children, 
from the comparative thinness of the cutis, the application 
of the narcotic over a surface of two or three inches square 
would be sufficient to produce death. 
“ 10th. In all ordinary cases of abraded or cut surfaces, 
the application of the narcotic mixture may be attended 
with considerable danger on the adult. 
“ 11 th. The use of this anaesthetic agent in cases of tooth 
extraction is particularly objectionable. 
“ 12th. The action of the narcotizing fluid, with or with¬ 
out the electric current, when applied to the healthy skin, 
is attended by a severe local inflammation of a most pain¬ 
ful and obstinate character, which would be liable to 
introduce dangerous complications into surgical operations. ” 
WONDERS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 
By A. S. Copeman, V.S., Utica, N.Y. 
Histology, or the science of the minute structure of the 
organs of animals and plants, is one of the many discoveries 
of this fruitful nineteenth century ; glimpses, however, of 
organic structure, had been obtained by the earlier micros- 
copists, Luhvvenhock, Malpighi, Hooke, and others; but 
these, for the most part, consisted of unconnected ob¬ 
servations, from which it was impossible to educe any of the 
general laws of formation and development. The microscope, 
except as a mere toy, fell into disuse during the greater part 
of the eighteenth century, nor was it until the last twenty-five 
years that this instrument was rendered capable of yielding 
such a magnifying power, together with such clearness of 
definition, as is necessary for the investigation of this most 
interesting and important field of research. 
One of the primary and most invaluable results brought 
out by elaborate examination of the minute structure of 
organized beings is, that even a closer unity of organization 
exists among these structures than is found in the larger 
