Studies in Microscopical Science - Vol. I - Notes 


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We have reproduced pages from the original unbound issues, which in some cases are slightly foxed and in nearly all cases slightly tinged as a result of being kept in unfavourable conditions. Nonetheless, they are still readable and, if anything, lend an antiquity to the document that is often missing in fully bound copies. All but one illustration was present in the originals. The missing lithograph was taken from a bound copy. We have included all the notes and advertisements that formed the originals and in its entirety we believe forms a rare and probably unique collection. Some of the advertisements themselves are interesting and informative in their own right.
The slides were not included when the original numbers were acquired but have been begged and borrowed and thanks go to Maureen Albrighton, Roger Carter, Brian Davidson, G. T. Gibson and Nick Webster for their support of the project.
Where possible we have photographed the subject matter from the slides themselves.
The photographs are all the copyright of M. Samworth. The structure, design and layout of the CD and it's pages has been the responsibility of D. S. Gill, so if this aspect is unsatisfactory then I'll do better next time.
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The slides issued with the Studies were not available separately so it can be assumed that slides bearing the labels, as depicted, number less than a thousand.

Those microscopists who have access to a full original volume of the work may notice some differences. If there are differences this is due to the fact that the whole publication was available once the component parts had been issued, bound as a single volume. In that volume various additions and corrections were included, the plates were numbered, text was reset and some references were added.
The page advertising the complete bound volume - from the prospectus for Volume II:-
Bound Vol

Monetary Nomenclature.
Prices quoted are given in an older British currency known as Pounds, Shillings and Pence. This, effectively ceased to exist in the early 1970s when decimalisation of the currency occurred. These old monetary units were made up as follows:-

A pound (a paper note) consisted of 20 shillings.
A shilling (for which a coin existed) consisted of 12 pennies.

Thus there were 240 pennies in a pound.

A guinea was 1 pound and one shilling and a half-guinea was therfore ten shillings and six pennies.
A number of other units were also commonly used -
A florin (for which a coin existed) was two shillings
A crown (for which a coin existed) was five shillings
A half crown (for which there was a coin) was 2 shillings and sixpence.

There was a coin for three pennies and a coin for six pennies.
There was also a half penny (pronounced haypenny) and a farthing which was a quarter of a penny.

The way these were written varied somewhat but the following will allow you to work out what a particular written value means.

If specifying a pound then - £1 or 1l.
If specifying a shilling then 5s. or 5/-. Where the hyphen after the slash indicates no pennies.
If specifying pennies alone then 1d. or if in conjunction with some shillings then 5/6 or 5s. 6d. (Five shillings and six pence) or even 5/6d.
A value of , for instance one pound, ten shillings and sixpence could be expressed thus. - 1l. 10s. 6d. or £1. 10s. 6d. or 1/10/6d or even 30/6d where the shillings alone have been expressed.

At decimalisation the value of the currency was as follows:-

One shilling = 5 new pence
thereby giving 100 new pence for a pound.

Some indication of relative values may be realised using the following 'relative value' factor - 48.
Using this value you can multiply the stated cost of something by this figure which will then give you the cost it would be today (1999). e.g. from Chas. Collin's advertisement for a Histological Microscope £5.10s. = £5.50. Thus 5.5x48=264. This in itself does not give the true cost of the article as this needs to be related to average earnings of the day.

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