The New York herald., 1877-10-05
TIE REVELATIONS OF A LENS.
FRANCIS GERRY FAIRyIELp ON THE MICROSCOPE

FRANCIS GERRY FAIRyIELD ON THE MICROSCOPE
AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE.
pretty full house assembled at the rooms Of the
Polytechnic Association last evening hsar Professor
Francis Gerry Far1eds rss lecture before that body
on the Microscope and its Revelations" Al tho
desk adjusted for work, stood three microscopes OF
dierent patterns adapted TO different departments OF
Investigation, and box containing about hundred
slides ready TO attest the accuracy of any
tho lecturer might venture to make. Mr. Fairfield
commenced BY saying that when he was IN
vited 10 lecture before tho association his
FIRST impulse, notwithstanding the high CON-
pliment implied and the complimentary terms Of
the invitation, was to decline. the ground there
was nothing new to DO said IN set lecture in
strument that had already contributed to bolog
cal science than all others put together But
second thought he TO the conclusion 10 accept
and 10 take The members Of the association into his
confluence as unreservedy possible particularly as
the httlc box standing by him contained the
record OF several new discoveries and the
evidences Of a primary law OF animal and
vegetable life which had escaped the attention Of
other Investigators law which no believed was dcs-
tined TO give turn TO the science OF growth and
vital development and 10 Simplify a department OF
researcn which had SO far bailied The best minds
Europe as wen as The United states. He had accord
ingy thought II best be prepared with the nslru-
ments essential 10 demonstraIion; but in order 10
ciation and the medical present not to call Ior
proofs except when there real doubts TO be
solved A. an illustration Of the porance any
isoased discovery may suddenly assume the lecturer
instauced little insect discovered py him last sum
mer, which ne DESIGNATED as the hy-mlte (ixodes
musce cerebraiis. In september OF last year the
Lecturer noticed that something OF an epidemic was
raging among ths house flies this city, aud
their bodies were often found the dozen lying upon
the carpet Just beneath tue gas % the wings generally
slnged iittie as from single rapid plunge through
the hame This stae o things continued Tor several
Der, having an hours leisure from more practical
work, he piaked up insect that hau just dropped
aud was not yet dead shipped oil its head and com-
menced TO disscct II, with Wow to determn ne what
should cause house ny, which IL not ordinarily ad
dicted TO sucn cxperments to commit suffice, after
the manner Of Htndoo widow, IN uonor OF her de-
ceased consort. On removing the Inleguments OF tho
alive with minute creatures, which, at power OF
bU dameters appeared 10 be nfusor ous but which
examination under higher power turned out TO DO
tho mnutcst mites yet discovered having three pairs
OF ouronted legs, the usual pair oi antennie and all
tue essehti"s OF perfect Insect 0rganizat'ou how
wonderful IL the minuienesS OF nature SAID the leo
turer, "can be dimly imagined when tell that this
little insect is rather less than ono iourhundredh OF
an lnch long, that ils iourointed legs are less than
one eght-hundredtb oil inch IN length, and that,
consequently, single section OF the leg from JOINT 10
joint Is only about three OF inch.
How minute single muscle must Do you can readily
imagine when tell you mat insect has about
and half many muscles as a man. The
bryo'ogy OF this litte creature, 10000 specimens
Of winch could be packed the empty skull
Of n.y. passes directly through the inusorlan; aud
IL 10 thus important TO science as beng absolutely The
only dentinable link between the so-called animal
cues and insects The discovery remained this state
until last June, whom Professor Coslocx called upon
me 10 identity certain strange phenOmena in speci-
men OF urine submitted 10 him lor examination
case OF Brights disease Of the kidney. Ana here,
after months Of unavaliag research In every
conceivable direction, found abundant specimens OF
the ty-me, with such swarms Of It's
various stages oi development to settle the fact
that the insects were not there by accident, but tna
on The other hand they were wilnin their native ter
rtory. The patient was dispensary one. migrat-
ing pnd irregular respects residence, and second
specimen urine could be tanned; but happily
tue single examination sufficient Tor scientific pur
poses, that which dTst merely u curious
fact III natural history assumed the sudden importance
ot TACT bearing upon tho progress, II not upon
origin, OF Of the difficult diseases which
physicians have TO contend