Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-11-10
POWERFUL LENSES.
Discovery OF a Glass Which WIN
Improve tho Microscope.
Experiments OF Drs. Abbey and Scotia
neeent improvement In which Sell
sntIsts Are Deeply Interested
Uses Of he Microscope.


Tist . recent wonderful discovery In
microscopy has not Ieen even motel In the
pul lie press may be cited az proof Of the
general apstbetic tendency as regards
scientific matters. TIE microscope has al
wsys teen regarded ~ a wonder al In
s,rument. but l,y the discovery Of an en-
tlrely new kint Of glass lately its powers
are increased 10 an Incredible degree. II
was In the year 1879 that DR.. Abbey read
paper before the South Kensingion Assoc
citation In England, in which he strongly
oct forth nj, idea that II was p~sqible that
a new Kind Of glass might be made which
would increase the power o. tho micro
scope.
In the year 1881 bo and DR.. Soott, a cele-
lra,sd chemist, Logan to experiment In
'hs town OF Wilton, in Wesiphalia. Their
frnls gave out In 1879, however, lief, re
they had obtained any remarkable re-
suits from their experiments, Tut both
NeIo so sangulne OF making q Leneh ial
discovery u they had funds TO continue
their work that the Prussian Cove nment
wss induced 90 give 800 for the contin-
n. tUn Of the experiments. Iro,. Abbey
end D.. Scott then erec'ci laboratory
tn Germany, at the works Of Carl Zsiss, a
munufac urer Of instruments used by
SCIENTISTS. They tri ID nearly all elements,
and q was only about six months ago that
th'ir long labor wNs crowned wish sue
cess, viii will make tne'n famous In the
history OF science. The ordinary glnss
contains six sui stances. The new glass
made iy Prof. Abbey AMI Dr.. Scott con-
tsins fourt On. The mo 4 essential .ele-
ments OF which IL Is composed are phos-
phorus and boron, neither OF which are
u-ed In common glass. With the old glass
tAe full power Of the microscope was the
alScernment Of the one fve-hundreith
part Of nm inch, AMI with the new glass IL
II claimed that the ono two hundred and
four millionth seven hundred thousandth
part Of an inch can he dist'n guiShed. This
certainly SO. ms Incredible, Tut positive
assurance Of It's truth is given by parties
who have tested Prof. Abbey's an DR..
SCOTS new inst umcnt.
When the discovery was frA made Carl
zolss, the manufacturer, in whose place
the experimentRliSts had worked, was In
favor Of getting out patent 80 that the
discovery might provo a most profitable
enc, hut the facts OF the experiments hav-
ing been conducted with funds supplied by
the Prusnisn Government prevented the
diseoverers from making Il a private enter
prise, aRi compe!s them To make Il a pub-
lie Leneht. The difference between the
new and the old glass consists in the re-
fraction Of light. The GLASS Is not on the
mnrket yet, hut will he very shortly. II
" III te used entirely for high power in
siruments. The benefit 10 lie derived from
che discovery cnn hardly he estimated. II
~nl, Of course, lie Of great value In micro
scopie photography.
A reporter VS. talking with Prof. ri. n.
Whelplcy, editor OF the National Druggist
about the discovery yesterday and he was
enthusiastic over 10, and could not under
stand why II was that the public press
had never noted H. The scientific four
malls. he said, were full OF H.. "The micrs-
scope has always been q most remarkable
instrut emit" said the professor, "and now
that Il may be said TO have leon perfected.
u is more wonderful than ever. Why, do
you know that a knowledge Of microscopy
viii sotn be necessary for competent drug
Eists. In the last few yOars Laboratories
have been established In almost every
college OF pharmacy In the country. /,
myself, have a class at the st. Louis COL
Isge. You see, In years gene by drugs
tame mostly In the shape OF herbs, and
What thY were was apparent 10 any
pharmaeosnocist
"But now Il IL different; druys are near
" always received In the form Of pow
ders, and Oftontimes are largely aCsrltsr-
ntod with such substances as starch, co..
soanut ground into powder, and the like,
and are then coloroj so as to mako the de-
ception perfect. Il II In detecting such
adulterations that the microscope Is Of I'm :
estimable value; in fact, Il can not bo
overlooked. cit IL strange" continued
the professor, show little interest is mani
tested In science nowadays by any ex-
oept scientists. Why, the great ma.
jcrity Of people have no scientific knowl-
edge whatever. Several days ago
Witnessed sight on Fourth
street, which was enough to con-
vince any one OF this fact. vender In
small mlcros sOpes Was surrounded by a
crowd Of people whom he was inviting "a
look through one OF his instruments and
view what could be seen In a glass OF
water. Numbers were taking advantage
Of the invitation, and when they stepped
away from the stand had look OF horror
on their countenNncos. Each one who had
made an olservat on would tell othe rs Ia
the crowd what awful little animals Ia
saw On the water, and am sure that
those who looked through the vender'.
microscope could not take n glass of watel
fer week afterward without making A
Nry face over II. Now, water does moi
contain half tie snimalcules that thes,
poor. doluded fellows witnessed. Tn,
vendor had practiced a deception on them
He had boilel liitlO ntur and water 10.
ksthor, and the paste thus made he put in.
Go the tumbler Of water which lie had on
his stand. The crowd could not detect th,
presence OF the paste In the water will
che naked eye, and the animalcules they
saw with the microscope, and at the sigh
OF which they shuddered, were nothin1
nore than paste eels."
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AMONG THE KROOS.