Prof.
John Bacon.
We have also to record the death of Prof. John Bacon, at his
home, in Boston, on Monday, Nov. 28th. Prof. Bacon was one of
the earliest American microscopists. For nearly forty years he
has seen the progress of Microscopical study and the
improvements in the instrument, securing for himself whatever
seemed to be of value among the latter.
About the
year 1847 he visited Andrew Ross, in London, who then informed
him that 147 degrees was the utmost limit of angular aperture
that could be given to an objective. For fourteen years he was
Professor of chemistry in Harvard College, but in 1871 he
resigned on account of ill health; since then he has given
special attention to the study of diatoms. His cabinet of
diatom-preparations is very valuable, and his library contains
perhaps the most complete collection of works on the diatoms
in the country. He was a man of ability and an excellent
chemist, but of a retiring disposition, and therefore almost
unknown to the general public.