Curious facts, concerning man and nature : with a few practical suggestions on other subjects / by Samuel W. Francis.

  • Francis, Samuel W. (Samuel Ward), 1835-1886.
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Curious facts, concerning man and nature : with a few practical suggestions on other subjects / by Samuel W. Francis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    13/18 (page 11)
    II. AN AMERICAN PROPHECY FULFILLED. (From the Newport, R. I. Mercuiy, Nov. 23,1867.) The Philadelphia Medical & Surgical Reporter, for January 9th, 18G4, (Vol. XI., No. 2,) page 27, contains the following remarkable communication from Dr. Samuel W. Francis, of New-York; suggest- ing the invention of a new aud improved Introscope, which explains itself. “There is one additional’statement, which, though what Terence would designate as ‘homunculus,’ I will venture to predict that it may be seconded. It is to the following effect, that ere long so great improvement will be made iu the Microscope that, on stripping the body of any person, and artificially illuminating him by electro-magnetism, or otherwise, aud by looking through the countless multiplied lenses of the improved Microscope, the workings of his organs may at once be studied, the complex localities of the nervous system effectually understood, and a practical Chart of normal and abnormal differences easily procured. For instance, by aid of a powerful glass, we may now follow, for a short space, the circulation of a frog’s foot. In a few years a thicker membrane than the web will be as readily pierced, and, eventually, “seeing through a mill-stone” will not be so extravagant an idea as at present we are led to suppose. A fit climax for the previous assertion is, that subsequently, by a careful adjustment, the workings of the brain may be distinguished, and, as a reward for labors past, the sci- entific student will at length be permitted to ‘ See Thought.’” Impossible as this might at first seem, a Frenchman of much inge- nuity has already succeeded iu verifying Dr. Francis’ prediction, as may be seen by the following extract from the Philadelphia Medical and Surgical Reporter Nov. 9, 1867, Vol. xvii, No. 19 :— “ Splanchnoscopy. If one holds an egg before a bright light, it is seen to be translucent. If a bright light were introduced into the stomach, we could obtain a tolerably fair view of its anterior and lat- eral parietes, by a similar property of translucency. Impossible as this demonstration would seem to be, it has been successfully perform- ed by M. Milliot, of Paris. He introduces into the stomach glass tubes of small calibre, containing two platinum wires, connected with the electrodes of a powerful battery—the apparatus of Middedorpf he