Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-05

Proceedings Of the Regular SeTni-
Monthly Meeting OF sue Memphis
Microscopic society ON
Thursday Night.

The society met at the usual hour on
the night of December Sd. DR.. J. T..
Marabe, and A. J. Murray, city en-
gineer, were elected active members,
and DR.. J. J. Woodward, assistant sur
geon United States army, in charge OF
the army medical museum at WASH
ington; DR.. w. b. Bizzell, Of Mobile,
and DT. Sterling Loving, Of Ohio, were
elected corresponding members.
Contributions of unmounted material
were received frOmGSev. E. G. Bowles,
of Salem, Massachusetts,, consisting Of
different vegetable fibres used Ia the
manufacture Of textile fabrics in India:
also, six slides from b. +. Quimby Of
Philadelphia, two being crystals of sail
cine, one crystals OF phloridzin, one
crystals of chloride Of copper, one Of
fresh water algae from the Adirodacks,
etc.
Mr.. G.. w. MorehOuse, of Wayland,
New York, contributed one dozen slides
OF fossil and recent diatOmes. The spe-
cimens contributed by both these gen.
tlemen were much admired for their
skillful mounting.
A hearty vote of thanks was returned
to each Of the donors.
Encouraging letters were read from a
number Of practical working microscopy
lists, expressive Of the kindest hopes re-
garding the future of the young society.
A paper contributed by J. Edward
Smith, of Ashtabula, Ohio, on the use
OF Dammar Varnish as q mounting me-
dunn for test objects, was read to the So
ciety. Mr.. Smith hss found, from nu-
merous experiments, that the varnish
renders objects much more difficult Of
resolution than balsam. The increased
transparency obtained by the use of the
varnish seems to him to be the chief
cause Of the difference. The Dammar
mounts, according TO Mr.. Smiths ex-
periments, utterly defeated TOlles i'm
mersion lilo three system objective,
which would readily resolve the same
specimens when mounted in bslsam. A
Tolles new four system ITO objective,
however, readily resolved the Dammar
slides, though the same result could not
be obtained by the use of any of the old
detectives from Ito to l-50.
A paper was also read from G. w.
MorehOuse, of Wayland, New York,
on the comparative results obtained
by the use of Tolles's old three system.
$50, and the new four system, lilo.
Mr.. Morehouse states that the best
work of the former was unequivccally
excelled by the performance of the lat
ter. This is a great gain, as the lilo
gives q great increase Of light and bet
ter definition, as compared with the
l-50. The most remarkable point in
Mr.. Moorehouse's investigation is this:
That the Optician can, by q new and
simple combination of lenses, with To-
cal distance as low as one-tenth of an
inch, secure better performance than
eau be obtained by the old system, $50
Of an inch focal distance. This seems
to be the greatest triumph Of the opti-
clans art, as regards the construction of
detectives.
A communication from J. Edward
Smith fully corrOborated the compare
tive statements of Mr.. Morehouse.
Mr.. bod, secretary of the society,
stated that he had ordered one of the
new four system one-tenths, and that
the members could soon have an oppor-
tunity of judging from practical demon
stratiOn Of the value of this new object
i've.
) The board OF managers reported to the
society that they had purchased one of
J. w. Queen IL Co.'s students micro
scopes, with accessiOns, TO the amount
of one hundred and fifty dollars, in ac-
with tie expressed wish of the
society.
The society then adjourned, and the
members proceeded to an examination
OF the slides lately received, and to
test Of the performance Of a Gundlaeh's
objective on the Moller
probe platte. This was followed by an
discussion of the theory of
''ultimate atoms" as set forth by the
president, DR.. Cutler.
The next meeting will be seventeenth
Of December.