Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

Freezing microtome from Measuring and Scientific Equipment (mid 20^th century)

This is a freezing microtome from Measuring and Scientific Equipment Ltd. (London, England) (Figure 1). The instrument can be dated to the mid 20th century. These microtomes are clamped to the edge of a bench and connected to a cylinder of carbon dioxide by a flexible metal tube. The instrument has a radial arm attached to a central pivot and holds two clamps where a knife is mounted with the cutting edge inclined in a horizontal plane. The specimen is mounted on a block holder, known as freezing stage. The block holder is attached to a pipe carrying carbon dioxide gas, which can be sprayed onto the specimen for freezing. The knife moves over the block around a horizontal axis. The firm Measuring and Scientific Equipment was founded in 1936 by Ernest Foulkes, manufacturing machine tools. During that time the company was named Machine Shop Equipment. With the founding of the National Health Service in 1948, the company started producing hospital Microtomes.

Figure 1. MSE freezing microtome as featured in a 1968 Townson & Mercer’s catalogue