The Portland daily press., 1897-10-15
MAGNlFIEs 100000 DIAMETERs.
Prof. Gates Tells How He Does 1t With
Two Microscope and a Camera.

Prof. Elmer Gates who has come into
prominence by reason of his recent sue
| cessful experiments in the field of micro
scopy has large and well equipped labor
atory at Chevy Chase near Washington.
| 1t is the largest psychological laboratory
| in the world. A scientific paradise SO to
speak where the elect may revel in appar-
atus of most intricate ana unpronouncea-
Bile nomenclature. Here his experiments
have been carried on for several years
some of his studies having been begun 90
years ago. His latest achievement is an
instrument that magnifies 300 times more
than the present microscope thus opening
up a world as new to science as the one
that was developed by the original micro
scope which magnifles 1000 diameters.
| EWhen Prof. Gates was asked by the
Washington correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune for a short statement of his
great invention he took large envelope
with the printed legend ELMER Gates,
| Chevy Chase, Md" in one corner and
wrote the following in lead pencil:
''If the markings of structures on the
real image of the present micr oscope are
too close together they are photographed
| on the sensitive plate as one OBJECT. Ii
less than the ten-thousandth OF MILL
metre apart the markings are coalescent
on the plate. Now introduce a second
| specially constructed microscope to view
a small part of this image and further
magnify before photographing it thus
| getting these markings far enough apart
to photograph separately. This requires
special Photographic conditions of ALSO
lutte darkness from which dark heat lumi-
| nous rays and ultraviolet rays are ex-
cluded. 1t thus opens the ultra-micro-
| scopic range of study
When visited at his laboratory, which is
| an extensive affair, containing among
other things triple dark room, the CEN
trail chamber being within two other in
dependent rooms, Prof. Gates gave ad
ditional details Of his work. In view Of
| the technical character of the invention
he was asked to dictate his explanation
which he did as follows:
This new discovery controverts enc of
the established rules taught by all sc1en-
lists in this regard, and that is that you
| must get nearer the object for greater
| magnifcation and have to use small
plate, consisting of fine lines ruled close
together, l2-inch object showed four
lines and three spaces. With 16-inch it
showed nine lines and eight spaces
| "Then taking a second, with two
thirds Of an inch objective or 14mm
objective, it was focused upon the real
image of the microscope by introducing
F! the ocular of the first microscope, SO that
the plane of the second objective was in
the plane of the real image, and then
| two lines and one space covered the en-
tire field of vision, thus demonstrating
that greater magnifcation can be OBJ
tanned by 6 2-3 objective than with ~
| inch, without putting the 6-inch objec-
tive any nearer than usual.
"This demonstrates wholly new
principle-namely, that second micro
scope can be used to view small part of
the real image produced by the first mi
croscope, thus not requiring the expen-
| sive small lenses, which are difficult to
make and which have to be placed SO
close to the object that thick covered
glasses cannot be used.
with full tube length of both micro
| scopes greater magnifcation can be
| produced with a 6 2-3 objective than with
| l6-inch by the ordinary method. The
| advantage of not having to work so close
to the object and of the larger field of
vision will be obvious to the microscopist.
This is only, however, first step.
When l replace the two-third objective
of the second microscope the magniica-
| ton Is 400 more diameters, but the image
| cannot be seen by the eye. but must be
photographed. With a twelfth objective
on the first microscope and three inch
on the second l get a 1nagnification of
100000 This requires new photo
graphic facilities, which l hope very soon
to have. The present experiment. will
carry microscopy as much beyond the
present art as ! it is itself beyond the
power of the human eye.''
Prof Gates will apply his invention to
medical research and to bacteriology,
physiology, and histology. Since the in
vention has been announced, less than
| month, number of scientists have urged
him to patent it. This would, of course,
make great deal of money for Prof.
Gates. but he has decided not to patent
the instrument, but to allow it to be made
| and used in the interest of science, and
or the benefit of searchers for facts in
this direction, one of his tenets being
! that ambition except for the good of
science and the world is absolutely worth
lpGs