Essentials of Polarized Light Microscopy and Ancillary Techniques

This manual of essentials for the setup and operation of a polarized light microscope for microscopic particle characterization and identification grew out of a need for Hooke College of Applied Sciences, a member of The McCrone Group, to have a modern textbook for use in their microscopy courses. This textbook provides an up-to-date, fresh approach to applied polarized light microscopy as required for diverse applications such as industrial problem solving, contaminant identification, bioterrorism and other hazardous material identification, trace evidence analysis, paint and pigment analysis, etc. The essentials described in this manual have a rich history going back hundreds of years and are a heritage still useful and applicable today, and for the forseeable future. In addition to its use in Hooke College classes, this edition will find use in other institutions of learning, and can be used for independent study. The microchemical tests have been greatly expanded with color images under several microscopical lighting conditions, added directions, notes, cautions, sensitivity of reactions, and a bibliography as to page and figure number to the reactions in books in English, German, French, and Russian.

About the Author :
John Gustav Delly is professor emeritus of chemical microscopy at The McCrone Group's Hooke College of Applied Sciences and scientific advisor at McCrone Associates in Illinois. He has more than 50 years of experience in microscopical research, particularly contaminant identification. He has taught courses in microscopy and photomicrography, and developed microscopy training for specific industries. A designer of microscopical accessories, he is the author of more than 500 publications, including Kodak's Photography Through the Microscope. During his professional career, he was a member of the Royal Microscopical Society, the Quekett Microscopical Club, the Postal Microscopical Society, the New York Microscopical Society (former educational chairman), the State Microscopical Society of Illinois (1995 National Award Recipient and honorary member), the Microscope Historical Society, the Microscopical Society of Southern California, the American Chemical Society, and the American Scientific Glassblowers Society. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, and has judged entries for photomicrography competitions, including Nikon's Small World and the Polaroid Instant Photomicrography Competition.

Review :
Read the Quekett Journal of Microscopy's review (https: //www.mccrone.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/quekett-review-essentials.pdf, reprinted with permission). From Faye Goldblatt: This volume is a textbook like no other. Everything one needs to learn to use a polarized light microscope is contained within it. Mr. Delly has written a comprehensive work on all aspects of this exceptional tool. His writing is clear and complete. The photomicrographs and drawings illustrate each point with clarity and beauty. Examining as an illustration, Chapter 15, which delves into the world of microchemistry, we find the explanations on the methods used thorough and clear. But above all for the novice may be the photomicrographs which are excellent in providing the user with a clear view of what to expect for each method. In Chapter 14, after a very thorough explanation of interference figures, and what they indicate and how to obtain them, the photomicrographs of the interference figure gallery takes the mystery out of determining whether materials are uniaxial or biaxial with clarity and beauty. Even the glossary often has drawings and photomicrographs to illustrate the meaning of those words which may be new to the reader. The definitions are often further broken down as with the various types of extinction seen with anisotropic substances. The appendices alone are a valuable source of information. Appendix A contains reference works than any microscopist might need. Appendix B contains not only a list of the reagents useful for aspects of chemical microscopy, but information about each chemical. Appendix C lists and explains the symbols used in crystallography, while Appendix D gives the Miller indices for each crystal system. Appendix E explains how to use the optical properties of non-opaque materials for their identification. Appendix F is a table of trigonometric functions. Appendix G lists some of the observations and information that can be obtained by using a Polarized Light Microscope. Reading this list it becomes obvious why users of the PLM love the instrument and the science it yields. Appendix H is filled with equations useful to the microscopist. Overall, this is a most excellent volume, well worth the price. Mr. Delly's lifetime of experience and love of microscopy translate into explanations of the tools and techniques of the PLM that can make any of us who are willing to put in the effort, become excellent microscopists, whether for fun or profit. From Ronald F. Morris: This is a definitive book on polarized light microscopy. Excellent coverage of all aspects of this specialized technique. Mr. Delly is a world-renowned expert on this subject. A very large book at more than 700 pages, and 9" x 11.5" x 2" thick!