11John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 December 1795 (Adams Papers)
of the great man seems to look through the parental microscope. If the flattery of my Vanity, constituted my happiness, I could not possibly wish for higher gratification; but you know what value I am apt to set upon my own opinions; when others go beyond my own...
12From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
...So plain, that I can see them. in Writing English he is obliged to write So slow that his Characters are visible: but in Italian Such is the Rapidity of his Eloquence, that I must get a solar Microscope, if he is not upon his guard. You too, write Italian, and if you like it, you will oblige me: but I am not yet presumptuous enough to write a Line in any Thing but rugged American...
13From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 24 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
...it is, Seems to be, the Cause of Life, or at least of the continuance and Support of it, in the larger Animals. whether the Air, in any Similar manner, Supports the Animalcules which We discover by Microscopes, in almost every kind of substance I know not.
14To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 3 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
. These are in Maÿ and Juin full of a milkÿ juice—in which the Eggs by assistance of a microscope are discoverable. This glutinous humour undergoes various changes, and receives different accretions before the two shells in the centre are discoverable, and about this time—or a little later in August: the spatts are ejected. At this......, which theÿ filled there have been seen with a microscope...
15To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 25 February 1805 (Adams Papers)
His observation from vol. i pag. 10 on the 12 Dec. respecting fish-spawn colouring the sea—confirms your’s and Rumphius observations—It is a pity, that he could not examine it with a microscope—Sebald de Weert,
16From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 24 July 1805 (Adams Papers)
...he Seperated these parts, and found in one of them a Soft Substance, consisting of innumerable membranes of a retiform appearance, which constitute the Animal part of the shell, and through a Microscope exhibit proofs of a vacular Structure. This membranous Substance, is a continuation of the tendinous fibres, by which the animal is fixed to the Shell, the hardness of which is owing...
17From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 9 August 1805 (Adams Papers)
...distinguished from Alga, principally by its Leaves, separated into branches and cutt sloping, like the Leaves of the Oak. Some of the Species have Vescicles, on their Leaves: on Some others are perceived black points, which the Microscope discovers to be Shell fish....the partition of the Case. They are discernible by the naked Sight: but a Microscope, or at least a magnifying glass is...
18To John Adams from William Campbell, 12 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
I am one of those Federalists that have a charitable opinion of the Public Acts of that microscope of American independance as far as I am capable of Judgeing and gave my vote and interest to reelect him to the Presidential chair.
19From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 6 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
.... Break the stone to pieces, and each morsel contains two poles, a north and a south pole, and does not loose its virtue. The magnetic effluvia are too subtle to be seen by a microscope; yet they have great activity and strength. Iron has a sympathy with magnetism and electricity, which should be examined by every experiment, which ingenuity can devise. Has it been tried, whether the magnet...
20From John Adams to John Taylor, 16 April 1814 (Adams Papers)
knives; the most amplifying of our Microscopes. With Some of the Attributes or Qualities of each and of both, We are well acquainted. We cannot pretend to improve the Essence of either, till We know it. Mr. Adams has never thought, “of limiting......Astronomy; all that the Telescope has discovered? Of Chymistry or natural History; all that the Microscope has found? Of Architecture; every thing...