Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-21
M1CRosCoPICAL SOCIETY,


Camden Microscopical soiree . :. Report of
Committee-wOnderfulE ulExhibition-ssO.-
900 In Microscopes pes-MOuntinS OF
Objects - POlariscOpe, etc.
The regular monthly conference meeting
Of the Microscopical society was held last
evening, with an attendance of from forty
to fifty members and invited guests.
Mr.. J. P. McCaskey, from the special
committee appointed to represent the
society of Lancaster at the Camden
Microscopical soiree, on Thursday evening
last, reported that the Lancaster micro
scopes had been ION duty"
The exhibition was held in Lincoln hall,
Camden, capable of accommodating 4
large number of people. More than 4
hundred microscopes, many of them very
high-priced Instruments, with all the
| latest accessories, were exhibited, the
total value of which was estimated at not
less than twenty thousand dollars.
The two scientific societies of West
Chester were present in force, the Micro
scopical society being represented by eigh-
teen and the Philosophical society by sew
entcen Instruments. The Camden society
| exhibited twenty-five instruments, and
made very fine showing Of interesting
and beautiful objects, chiefly of their own
mounting. The crystallizations of Mr.. H.
s. Fortiner, the diatoms of Prof. G. II.
Kain-in which specialties these gentlemen
excel-and mounted objects by other men,
bers of this tlourishing society, attracted
much attention. The exhibit of Zentmyer
Instruments sofPhiladelphia of and the Crouch
| and Beck microscopes of London, each oc-
cupying large ans well-arranged spaces
| and show ing the choicest selections of at
| tractive objects, was itself worth the trip
| to Camden.
The arrangements were in every way
| admirable. Narrow tables extended
through the length of the hall. Coal oil
lamps upon the tables with shades, in addi-
\ tion to to the chandeliers, were every
| where used for illumination, there being
nearly as many lamps as instruments.
sion was had only upon these, so that the
attendance might be controlled and the
crowd prevented from becoming too great.
Over thousand persons were present
through the evening, and everybody, not
previously familiar with the instrument,
seemed to be astonished and delighted at
the invisible world of wonders revealed on
every hand.
! Most of the instruments were exhibited
by men enthusiastic in the microscopical
work, who have made large collections of
| objects wonderful and beautiful, or such
as have been prepared in a very artistic
manner, and as each exhibitor placed in
he had, the exhibition could not fail Of
being a very fine one in all respects.
| a large proportion of the members OF
these societies. more especially OF the
West Chester societies-betwcen which
there exists n generous rivalry-are men of
middle age and gray-haired veterans, sub
stantial citizens, who devote themselves to
these delightful Investigations with all the
enthusiasm of boyhood. DR.. Wood, bur-
CESS OF West Chester, 4 member of the
Microscopical society, to whom he made
some such remark, replied: "But We
take in the boys too. They should get at
this work early in life.'
Among very striking objects exhibited
by the West Chester microscopists was
Oregon gold by Mr.. Jelfrles, the mineralo-
gist hOrnblende by DR.. Green the hydra
by DR.. II. C. Wood golden quartz by Dr.
J. B. Wood fern fronds by Prof. ]. T.
Rothrock, gentleman rated by Prof.
| nj {i,o hnt DiSt of hi
years in the United States species of tho
schinus by Mr.. Sharpless embryo oysters
by DR.. Eldridge; section of the lacteals
by DR.. McClurg; and the eye of the peal
dacus by F. J. McClurg.
| Among the dozen or more instruments
representing the Philadelphia Academy OF
| Natural Sciences was one showing the sor
of ferns, and pollen, stamens, pistils, and
| sections of the seed veseils, etc, cut from q
dozen fresh blossoms and exhibited on q
movable desk with the aid Ofa parabOlOid
reflector. This exhibit attracted much at
tention. Near by was valuable slide pre-
pared by the poet, Oliver Wendell Holmes,
| who is an enthusiastic microscopist. AT
the table for exhibition of the Crouch in
struments were shown many beautiful
slides, among them gold crystals and seeds
| of the cardinal flower. Under one of the
| Zentmyer Instruments was shown the
movement of prOtoplasm in the leaf of a
living plant, the power used being about
| two hundred diameters. On the same
table was also shown the amGba, one of
| the first forms of animal life.
In tho exhibit of the Camden society
was the foot of spider by DR.. Brown ;
butterfy's eggs by Mr.. De la Cour; phil
oridzin, the active principle of the apple,
and other crystals by MIR. Fortincr dia-
toms by Prof. Kahn; humming birds
feather by Mr.. Wendell and circulation
! of the blood by Mr.. Bowden. A number
| of other choice slides were exhibited by
members of the society, chiefly Of their
| own preparation.
The blank form lying beside each instru-
ment showed the name OF the object under
the microscope, the power used upon it,
that is, the number of diameters which it
was masnified, and also gave the name of
the society, Of the exhibitor, and of the
maker of the instrument. This satisfac-
tory arrangement enabled anyone to leave
his microscope and make the grand round
of the hall, should he desire to do SO. 1t
also gave in brief all the points upon
which the visitor would be likely to make
inquiry.
whose acquaintance we made-microscop-