Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-21
THE MICROSCOPE.
Its Wonderful Powers and Iu curieu. Revs.

iaffons.
ffrom the indianapolis J.rrn,,J
The microscope Il, as its name Implies.
an instrument for making visible small
things. IL may be either simple or com.
pound. a simple microscope Is composed
VI one or more lenses In single combina-
Iioh, asu Is usually adapted TO examining
comp,'a,iNe'y large objects only. A com
pound microscope il compo.ed Of two or
more lenses. arranged in two or more sys-
tens. and generally consists OF an objec-
tiyc-ihe lens nearest to the obiect-and an
eyo-picce the lens nearest The eve. and an
intervening tube. The eye-piece magni6es
the image formed by the objective, Micro
scopes vary greatly III their degree OF
excellence. An instrument that will give
fair salts action, and do ordnrry work.
can be had for TWENTY-FIVE 10 fifty dol
lars. One that VIII do great variety OF
work, give much pleasure. and be very
useful in a'lording information. nav be had
for $50 10 900. OF course, the best IN
s,ruments cost more than these figures.
One who Is not acquainted with micro
scopes will always do well, in making
SELF ction, TO get the assistance OF some one
who has experience. The magnifying
power OF microscope depends upon the
objective, eye-piece, and length OF tube.
Fye-pioces and detectives are movable
aud we Use Us many different combinations
CT them 90 We may desire o. the same
stand, thus varying the power at pleasure.
For example, II the tube OF our microscope
lie ten inches long. and our objective have
focal distance OF one inch, we have
magnDyiag power OF 10 diameters, equal
to 100 area. II we now put iato the
upper end OF The tube an cye-piece OF one
inch focal distance, we shall magnify the
image formed by the objective ten times,
ard the object, with this combination, will
be magnified ten times ten diametcrs,
oil 100, equal TO 10000 area. II we
use IN ye-piece Of one half inch
fccus we shall have 0by -. or 300 diane
tiers: or II we Use half-nch objective and
Cne-inch eyc-piece. we have the same re-
suit. In speaking Of the magnifying power
Of . microscope we usually have reference
10 diameter and mol area. To find the area,
square the diameter. A third lens is some
times used between the objective and eye
piece, called an amplifier, which magniiics
The image formed by the objective before
il reaches The eyc-piece. by using obiec-
lives and Cyc-piCces Of diilerclt powers,
and by lcngtacnng the tube by means OF
What l. called a draw-tube, and by use OF
an amplihcI, where very great power is de-
Tie same microscope varying from five or
less 70 10000 diameters or more; but it is
seldom we use more than 1000 diamctcrs
with profit. Most microscopical work does
not require an ampiiicition OF more than
800 or 500 dameters.
M material things visible to the naked
eye are aggregaii0nS, made up OF parts.
The smallest particle that the eye can see Is
composed Of a vast number OF parts. The
microscope, also, reveals - us 4 great num-
lCr 81 animals and plants so small that the
unadCd eve cannot see them. yet these. too.
are compound. aud have many parts, yet
are perfect and complete N themselves. II
we take dropof stagnant water, not larger
than 4 small pnhcId. and examine II under
srfiiclrnt power, great variety OF plant
and animal life will most likely DC revealed
~ az. OF rare beauty and great activity. Ii
il he a particle OF some stone that we cY-
anime, we find thousands OF exquisite
shells and remains OF animal and plant life,
" hch lived, it may be, millions OF years
ago; il we examine some minute part
OF the human body we shall find
glands, vessels, cells. and structures
OF great importance. all most pei
fcctly ADAPTED 10 their work; II 1t be
a leaf. we find a wonderfully complicated
network Of cells, fbrcs, hairs, openings,
and vessels. Everything examined under
The magic power Of our microscope reveals
something new; something before unseen
and unknown. A consideration that gen.
orally recommends the use OF the micro
scope Is the fact that ii is never too cold or
hot. too dry or wet. too cloudy or bright
for work. 1t works well by daylight or
lamphght. There j. always something for
examination and study. By its Use a
world Of life and beauty, otherwise utterly
unknowabe, is made known. our ideas
and notions Of things are greatly changed
and enlarged. Plants become living things,
many OF them marvellous motions and
powers. We find them performing most
exquisite and graceful mlnnuyrcs. moving
in all directions and travelling from place
to place. We find other plants living in
wonderfully beautiful glass houses, chased.
with lines and seuptured rs no bn-
man hand can sculpture. We see through
and through plants and animals, and
observe al their varied internal structures
ard motions. our pond and river waters
are so full of minute life that We hardly
know where TO begin TO describe the many
interesting creatures we come across. \
few dfys ago, in passing stagnant pond. L
Observed red scum covering quite an area.
/ q Inc uUalutu eye IL lOohtu lint ~ HIlt ltu
dust, with here and there patches OF a
greeni>h yellow dust among it. | gathered
small quantity CT the water in a small
bottle, and at evening put dropoi il upon
A class .hdc-a slip OF glass one by three
inches-and laid very thin piece OF glass
oyer the drop gently. a thin piece OF
mica will do very well for a cOyer-gliss.)
then proceeded to examine the contents Of
the drop Of water with powers ranging
from seycnty-iivc to fifteen hundred diam
eielS, and the microscope soon show
ed a great number OF slowly-moy-
Ing red bodies Of AL shapes. some
were drawn cut quite lonc; Others
shaped much like q fiat turnip; Others
looked like round dumb-bels, and they
were engaged in changing their shapes
quite frequently, but all were evidently Of
the same species. could not say they had
anv particular shape, for by the time |
could describe one II would have assumed
some other form. When stretched ont ut
full length they looked much like long
cigar, rather blunt aud rounded at one end,
sharp at the other. The rounded end Is
the head, and has small notch, or slight
inGcntatiOn. in its end, and at or near THIS
emcrges very delicate, whip-like append
age about s. long rs the body OF the ant
NAL. which i called flagella, which II
keeps in quite rapid motion. II takes
good lens and careful handling TO see this.
II also has small mouth that is very
difficult 10 sec. Just back OF the
mouth is generally small, clear
spot or line. Still further back is another,
and sometimes two clear spots, one OF
which NAV often be observed TO open and
shut with KIND Of rythmical motion. This
il called contractile yessicle. The body
seems 10 consist Oi very thin and delicate
sack filed with red or green grains called
cells. Sometimes the red cells greatly ex-
coed the green in number, and sometimes
the reverse j. true. sometimes one hall
the body Is green, and the other half red.
Ii goes through great many changes oil
form and condition. At one time il Is
sphere enclosed in Il mass OF clear, trans
parent jelly, collected in colonies OF vary
ing number. In time il emerges from this
Jelly and becomes free.
If a glass of water containing them DC
paced near a window they will collect IN .
red mass on the side nearest the lisht.
They multiply by division mostly, IL not
wholly. ! have frequently observed the
process. The first sign OF division i,
usually, the appearance OF the nuclei; then
appears small notch in the front end.
This continues TO extend further and fur
Their down the body till il is completed. and
The one becomes two. During this process,
the body undorgoes many twisting~ ana