Essays on the Microscope: Containing a Practical Description of the Most Improved Microscopes, a General History of Insects, etc., etc.Adams, George
Science
Essays on the Microscope: Containing a Practical Description of the Most Improved Microscopes, a General History of Insects, etc., etc.
Adams, George
Insects -- Early works to 1800; Microscopy -- Early works to 1800
The foregoing rule has been also applied to estimate the magnifying
power of the compound microscope. To this application, Mr. Magny, in the
“Journal d’Economie pour le mois d’Aout 1753,” has made several
objections: one or two of these I shall just mention; the first is the
difficulty of ascertaining with accuracy the precise focus of a small
lens; the second is the want of a fixed or known measure, with which to
compare the focus when ascertained. These considerations, though
apparently trifling, will be found of importance in the calculations
which are relative to deep magnifiers. To this it may be further added,
that the same standard or fixed measure cannot be assumed for a
short-sighted, that is used for a well-constituted eye. To obviate these
difficulties, and some errors in the methods which were recommended by
Mess. Baker and Needham, Mr. Magny offers the following
PROPOSITION. All convex lenses of whatsoever foci, double the apparent
diameter of an object, provided that the object be at the focus of the
glass on one side, and the eye be at the same distance, or on the focus
of the glass, at the opposite side.
EXPERIMENT. Take a double convex lens, of six or eight inches focus, and
fix it as at A, Fig. 1, Plate II. A, into the piece A, which is fixed
perpendicular to the rule F G, and may be slid along it by means of its
socket: the rule is divided into inches and parts. Paste a piece of
white paper, two or three tenths of an inch broad, and three inches
long, on the board D; draw three lines with ink on this piece of paper,
so as to divide it into four equal parts, taking care that the middle of
the paper corresponds with the center of the lens. There is also a
sliding eye-piece, which is represented at e.
Take this apparatus into the darkest part of the room, but opposite to
the window; direct the glass towards any remarkable and distant object
which is out of doors, and move the sliding piece B, until the image of
the object on the paper be sharp and clear. The distance between the
face of the paper and the lens (which is shewn on the side of the rule
by the divisions thereon) is the focus of the glass; now set the
eye-piece e E to the same distance on the other side of the glass, then
with one eye close to the sight at e, look at the magnified image of the
lines, and with the other eye at the lines themselves: the image, seen
by means of the glass, and expressed in the figure by the dotted lines,
will be double the breadth of the same object seen by the natural eye.
This will be found to be true, whatsoever is the focus of the lens with
which the experiment is made.
This experiment is rendered more simple to those who are not accustomed
to observe with both eyes at the same time, by making use of half a
lens, and placing the diameter perpendicular to the rule, as they may
then readily view the magnified image and real object with the same
glance of the eye, and thus compare them together with ease and
accuracy.
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