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INTRODUCTION.

Ir has long been my desire to publish drawings of Urinary deposits, and other objects of interest to the student of clinical medicine, but the difficulty of obtaining plates at moderate cost has hitherto rendered this impossible. Representations of objects, to be of any real assistance to the practitioner, must be very numerous, or. he experiences great inconvenience and disappointment from constantly meeting with specimens which are not delineated in his atlas of plates, and the nature of which he is unable to discover. Students of every branch of natural science must feel how very much more may be learned from objects and from drawings than from mere description. This is particularly the case in those departments of practical medicine in which the microscope is of real importance, as in the investigation of diseases of the kidney, chest, stomach, skin, &c.

The representations given have been accurately copied from the objects in the microscope, with the aid of the neutral tint glass reflector. The image has been traced on properly prepared paper, from which it has been directly transferred to the lithographic stone. The drawings have all been made under my immediate superintendence, and, in some instances, by myself.

The greater number of the drawings are quite new, but a few have been copied from my work on "The

Microscope, and its Application to Clinical Medicine" (nearly out of print), and have been repeated to render the series as complete as possible. These will be found in plates XI, XII, and XIV.

The magnifying power of every object-glass employed for copying the objects has been ascertained, and the number of diameters which it is magnified, is affixed to every figure; thus, × 45, × 215, signifies that the object is magnified 45, or 215, diameters. To each drawing is also appended a micrometer scale, magnified in the same degree as the object itself; thus, 1000ths x215, 1 means, that each division represents the thousandth of an inch magnified 215 diameters.

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If the object extends over one division, it is 1-1000th of an inch in diameter, if over two, it is, of course, 2-1000ths, which is equal to 1-500th, if over two and a half divisions it is 2-1000ths and 1-2000th, or 5-2000ths, or 1-400th. These figures may be more clearly expressed in fractions. Supposing the object to extend over two and a half divisions, it equals 5-2000ths, or 20ths, or of an inch. If only over a quarter of one division, it equals the of both 400, or, in other words, the thousandth of an inch is divided into four parts, of which the object covers one, or an inch is divided into 4000 parts, of which one corresponds to the diameter of the object.

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By carefully comparing the objects delineated with the divisions of the scale, the diameter of every object can be at once ascertained, care being taken that both are magnified in the same degree; thus, fig. 1, plate I, which is magnified 130 diameters must be compared with the upper scale, which is also magnified 130 diameters,

while the lower scale is magnified 215 diameters, and can therefore only be compared with those figures magnified in the same degree.

The explanation of each plate is inserted immediately opposite to it, and on the other side of the page a short description of the general characters of the deposit, and of the tests employed for its detection, is given.

The figures have no pretensions to be considered beautiful drawings, or to be looked upon as works of art, but it is hoped they will be found accurate, although somewhat rough, representations of nature, as the greatest pains have been taken to render them faithful copies. Where it is necessary I have alluded to the most important chemical tests, and added references to my "TABLES FOR THE MICROSCOPICAL AND CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF URINE,"

It is my intention, from time to time, to publish numbers arranged upon the same plan as the present. The second number, which will be ready in October, will also contain representations of Urinary deposits; but I hope to be able to publish drawings of the most important characters of sputum, vomit, and other objects of clinical interest, some of which will be printed in colours.

PATHOLOGICAL LABORATORY, 27, Carey Street, W.C.

June 20th, 1857,

PLATE I.

EXTRANEOUS MATTERS COMMONLY FOUND AMONGST URINARY DEPOSITS.

Tables for the examination of Urine, § 29.

Fig. 1. Portions of hair from a blanket.

Fig. 2. Fragments of human hair. canal occupied with the soft cells represented.

In one the central of the medulla is

Fig. 3. Fragments of cat's hair. Some of them near the apex, and others close to the root of the hair.

Fig. 4. Portions of flax fibres. Their characters should be carefully contrasted with those of cotton. (Plate III, fig. 16.)

Fig. 5. A portion of tea leaf. Fragments of spiral vessels are seen projecting from several parts of the margin, and in the upper part of the figure may be noticed some separate cells, which must not be mistaken for epithelial cells derived from any part of the genitourinary mucous membrane.

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