Notes on the early history of microscopy / by Charles Singer.

  • Charles Singer
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Notes on the early history of microscopy / by Charles Singer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/54 page 13
    now seen) with a short tube, but nearly two and a half feet long, and the tube was of gilded brass two fingers’ breadth in diameter, and supported on three dolphins formed also of brass. At its base was an ebony disc, containing shreds or some minute objects which we inspected from above, and their forn;s were so magnified as to seem almost miraculous.” ^ This report is supported in almost every detail by evidence collected by Pierre Borel from the town councillors of Middelburg. The micro- scope is no longer in existence, hut we are able to show pictures of Fig 10. Microscopes from C. Schott’s “Magia universalis,” 1656. instruments no less vast and clumsy which were in use as late as 1656 by C. Schott^ (fig. 10). There seems no reason to doubt the very circumstantial account given by William Boreel, and the honour of having constructed the first bilenticular instrument, albeit perhaps accidentally, rests with Zacharias, who was closely followed by another Dutch lens maker, ‘ P. Borel, “ De vero inventore,” p. 29 ’ C. Schott, ‘‘ Magia universalis,” 1656. In the opinion of Sir Frank Crisp, however, the apparent size of these microscopes was duo to an error of the engraver, who placed an entire figure where the draughtsman had only placed an eye.
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