This simple dissecting box microscope was made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, Germany in 1865. The model featured below was redrawn from a photograph of the original microscope, which is part of the Billings microscope collection at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC.

The base of the microscope is mounted on a 4.5 x 4.5 inch wooden box, with a curved limb having a circular pillar to support the ocular, stage, and mirror. The lens holder is adjusted (focused) by means of a micrometer threaded screw mechanism attached to the top of the pillar. The miniature stage measures about 1.5 inches square and has a 0.5-inch aperture. An adjustable condenser lens is mounted at the base of the stage and is elevated with a screw mechanism.

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