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200 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. MARCI 30, 1883. instead of varnishing them in the usual way. It makes the films hard enough to resist ordinary usage, without being at all sticky in moist weather.” Mr. A Cowley Malley, in his little work on “ Micro Photography,” just published, bears out what we recently advanced as to the value of photography in pathological researches. The Athenceum, commenting on his remark that “In the domain of pathology we find many observers differing in their descriptions of well-known lesions,” says, “ A photographic image carefully obtained may, of course, be relied on to show what is actually seen by the observer.” It may be hoped that this opinion will gradually gain ground among medical scientists, and that n time it will come to pass that a practical knowledge of photography will form a portion of the medical student’s curriculum. It has been known for some time past, that Mr. Muy bridge and Mr. Sandford, of California, have had a differ ence as to who was the originator of the idea to study animal mechanics through the medium of instantaneous photography. Mr. Sandford claimed to have initiated the investigation, while Mr. Muybridge declared there was no possibility of such a research before he worked out his elaborate system of recording animal locomotion. The matter is now come to a crisis, for Mr. Muybridge has brought an action against Mr. Sandford for fifty thousand dollars, this sum being claimed for damages done to the American photographer by the prejudicial statements of the ex-governor of California. Accordingly, the American law courts will have a photographic cause celebre before them in a few months. To see ourselves as others see us is no doubt impossible, but photography comes very near to that “giftie” Burns desired so much. A portrait taken to-day may not show us much more of ourselves than we can already realise, but a picture twenty years old tells a different tale. That speaks the truth pretty plainly, and tells you many facts you never knew before. The present generation, indeed, is circumstanced as none other that has preceded it. A man of thirty may not only look upon himself as a boy, but he may look, too, upon father and mother when they were his own age ; and his eyes are sometimes strangely opened in the process. Who discovered collodion ? The question is not an easy one to answer. Photographic students are usually told that the suggestion to employ collodion in photography came from Le Grey, and that the first collodion process elaborated and described is that of Mr. Archer, which was published in the Chemist in the autumn of 1851, and which differs little from the method practised to this day. But this information does not help us to find the discoverer of collodion. Schbnbein was undoubtedly the first to prepare gun cotton in 1845, but it was not until Bottger published his memoir in 1846 that the process of making pyroxylin was given to the world. Still, Bottger does not seem to have described collodion. In Bouillet’s Dictionnaire des Sciences, we find that “ c’est " 1. Maynard, de Boston, qui, le premier, a propose, en 1847, d’employer le collodion en guise de bandage.” This, so far, only proves that to an American is due the suggestion of using collodion in surgery; but if we turn to Ure, it is certain that Mr. Maynard also told how pyroxylin was to be dissolved in ether to make collo dion ; and that he was the first to do so seems also evident from the circumstance that “several French chemists, at the suggestion of M. Malgaigne, attempted to make an ethereal solution of this compound (gun-cotton) by pur suing the process recommended by Mr. Maynard ” ; but, it seems, they failed in procuring cotton of the proper kind. Another reason for supposing Mr. Maynard to be the discoverer of collodion lies in the fact that he describes its preparation within a year of the publication of Bbttger’s memoir. A disinterested suggestion:—“As every change that comes over our globe seems to have some connection with spots on the sun—whether it is a bad harvest or a financial crisis—don’t you think it would be well,” asks a corre spondent, “ for the Agricultural Hall and the Stock Ex change to establish a joint photographic observatory, so as to be on the look-out for misfortune ? Forewarned is forearmed, you know, and if the suggestion is carried out, I am willing to accept the first appointment to the obser vatory at a liberal salary.” Speaking of Hissam-i-Sultaneh, a Persian prince who is just dead, a traveller, writing in the Standard, tells some thing of the splendour and home-life of this Eastern grandee. “We drank tea,” says our traveller, “poured from a golden tea-pot, and handed on golden waiters; while the coffee cups were of chased silver starred with jewels. The conversation at one period turned on photo graphy. The Prince showed us a likeness of himself, and begged that before leaving Meshed we should all come and be photographed with him. This we accordingly did. The photographer, who was of Royal blood, after breaking several slides, at last accomplished an indifferent picture, a copy of which was presented to each of us, bearing the stamp of the Prince’s signet.” Mr. Rassam, who has been exploring in Assyria on behalf of the British Museum, has returned with many thousand earthen cylinders covered with cuneiform writ ings. It appears, however, that the spirit of exclusiveness prohibits any but the solitary interpreter engaged at the British Museum from reading them ; and, according to a very moderate calculation, the task will take this gentle man about one hundred years ! There are many scholars on the Continent capable of assisting in the work, but their services are not to be called in. Could not a com promise be effected by means of photography ? Why should not the writings be photographed, and, by means of distributing copies to the various savans, let a curious