The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-12-16
BLOOD PHOTOGRAPHS.
A New Invention for the Aid of
Physicians.
Pictures of the Circulation Similar
to Those Used In the kinetO-
scope-DescriptiOn of the
Apparatus.

The action and rapid changes in cell
life can now be photographed, as a
horse race or prize fight, for out OF the
microscope DR.. Robert L. Watkins. OF
New York, has evolved the micro-kin-
etoscope, or as he calls it, the micro
microscope. This apparatus will great,
ly enlarge the use of the microscope and
will give to the micro-organic world a
new interest and fascination, for photo
graphs of all sorts of cell motion OBJ
served in the microscopic fluid can be
taken, remagnified thousands of times
and thrown upon a screen, where they
may be studied in clearest detail.
The value of such an apparatus to
science at this time is of very great i'm
portance, for the whole world of biol
ogy. physiology and medicine has en-
tered upon the study Of all cell life of
blood and of bacteria, with a keen
sense Of their value in explaining life
and disease.
Blood freshly drawn has been photo
graphed with all it's changes.
No blood has ever been photographed
in actual circulation, except series of
Interchangeable DR.. Watkins succeed
ed in making of the blood stream in d
frogs foot. This picture was taken at
about the rate of 1000 per minute and
when pictures were thrown on the
screen all the changes going on in the
cells and serum were plainly seen and
all the observations of changes in drawn
blood were confirmed. If living tissue
can be seen with the microscope, and
there are some of the best of reasons for
believing that it can, the micro-moto-
scope will become invaluable.
But in the sphere of bacteriology it
will certainly open new and wonder
full world. The study of bacteria aside
from their connection with disease is of
absorbing interest, for it has been
shown from number of reliable expert
ments made by such men as Klebs.
Dusany and others that many of these
vast families Of mico-organism are pos
sessed of qualities akin to intelligence
itself. They behave under certain cir
cumstances very like creatures of much
higher organization. Some of these
bacteria, under the influence of cleo
tricity, light, heat, mechanical action
and the temptation of food or poison,
manifest a sense Of instability, greed,
Tear. ETC., that is surprising. Their &C.
lions under such conditions have never
been photographed. The pictures in
The books show only the stained dead
ones, and psychologists have long
been accustomed to speak of bacteria as
without motion, but this is incorrect, as
has lately been shown. Some families
lnder stimulus move with the swiftness
If flies and mosquitoes.
The apparatus and the method de-
Used for photographing are very SIM
Die. A gelatine film so feet long is
wound on a wheel of about Is inches
liameter. Geared to this wheel is a
mailer wheel, turned by crank. This
title machine is hooded by a box in
which, just opposite the revolving
lin and on direct line with the lever
# the microscope, is small window.
It the other end of the lens, lying in a
horizontal plane, is concentrated a
trong beam Of light from an electric
antern. The apparatus is capable of
ecording from $500 to 1000 figures a
minute. In order to catch the rapid mo-
ion Of the blood stream in the vein of
rog's foot, it had to be turned to It's
ull capacity, and the frogs leg was
ound with cord to retard the motion.
Tut the capacity of the apparatus may
o increased by enlarging the size of
he wheel. The infractions of the lens
Il these pictures are carried all the way
rom 10000 to $4,000, the highest capac-
~ of the microscope. Itrequires very
Ugh power lens to photograph, for fully
ne-fourth or more Of the light is alb
orbed in the process, and on account Of
he heat from the powerful light the OBJ
ects in the microscopic fluid are in dan.
er of being killed. The heat is, how
YER, not too great to impair the action
+ blood, except to dry the serum and
asten the c1ot formation. |.
DR.. Watkins was asked as to the value
the pictures in making diagnoses for
ifferent diseases as shown in the blood.
lie said that these series of pictures,
lken from time to time in the progress {
+ disease or it's cure, were of very
reat service TO physicians memory.
lot only that, but blood could be sent -,
y mail long distances and retain i
nough Of its characteristics to be In i
photographed. He men
Toned a sample of malarial blood he re- 1
emily received from Africa. The ma {
'rial germ was still living in it when
e photographed it. Both blood and pic
ures can now be sent by mail, and the
ictures can be made use of by doctors 6
Tho do not have the facilities for such l
hotography.-Boston Globe.
Love and Magnolia.