1 1 6  The  Microscope  in  Pharmacy.  { 
plete.  In  order  to  fill  the  pipette,  force  it  upward  to  the  closed  end 
of  the  telescoping  tube,  place  the  point  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
liquid,  close  the  open  end  of  the  tube  with  the  finger,  and  gently  raise 
the  outer  tube.  The  liquid  is  sucked  upward,  and  may  be  raised  and 
held  at  any  level  within  the  limit  of  its  intended  capacity  with  the 
utmost  readiness.  The  liquid  is  readily  discharged  by  either  pressing 
the  outer  tube  downward  or  by  removing  the  finger. 
The  principle  involved  in  the  instrument  is  essentially  that  of  the 
syringe,  the  rubber  tube  answering  to  the  air-tight  piston.  If  desired,, 
the  upper  end  of  the  outer  tube  may  be  entirely  closed,  in  which  case 
the  necessity  for  stoppage  with  the  finger  is  avoided.  If  any  difficulty 
is  encountered  from  the  slipping  off  of  the  rubber  tube,  a  slight  flange 
may  be  made  upon  the  outer  tube,  which  will  prevent  this.  Excessive 
friction  between  the  rubber  and  the  pipette  may  be  avoided  by  moist- 
ening the  inner  surface  of  the  rubber  with  glycerin  or  other  lubricant. 
This  apparatus,  as  will  readily  be  seen,  is  also  admirably  adapted  for 
use  as  a  dropper,  the  column  of  liquid  being  under  perfect  control,  and 
very  readily  made  to  flow  outward  at  any  desired  rate  by  simply  regu- 
lating the  downward  motion  of  the  outer  tube  ;  for  this  purpose  I 
would  recommend  the  entire  closure  of  the  upper  end  of  the  tube. 
While  for  some  uses  of  the  pipette  such  an  appliance  is  unnecessary^ 
yet  for  many  others  it  will,  without  doubt,  prove  of  great  convenience 
as  one  of  the  simplest  and  at  the  same  time  most  efficacious  of  any 
which  have  been  devised. 
Neiv  York,  Feb.  ist,  1879. 
THE  MICROSCOPE  IN  PHARMACY. 
By  Edward  Gaillard,  Ph.G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  February  1  %th. 
Perhaps  no  field  of  microscopical  investigation  teems  with  richer 
veins  of  interest  and  instruction  than  its  application  to  pharmacy. 
Feeling  deeply  interested  in  it  myself,  I  shall  throw  out  a  few  sugges- 
tions that  will  assist  those  amongst  us  who  have  an  hour  of  leisure> 
and  taking  up  the  scattered  clews  may  work  it  into  a  fabric  of  infor- 
mation of  surpassing  pleasure. 
It  is  a  common  error  to  suppose  that  in  order  to  see  anything  clearly 
it  is  necessary  to  magnify  it  very  much.    The  majority  of  objects  that 
