Our attention was caught by a recent article in this newsletter (Issue #7, September, 1992) entitled “Modern Microscopy on the Light Side. The FTIR Microscope” by Mr. Skip Palenik. Mr. Palenik makes some cogent points but we feel there is a bit more to the story. We are spectroscopists by training and experience and “...have done some reading and/or taken a short course...”, but we have not “...set ourselves up as microscopists...”, at least so far. We have, however, for the past nine years attempted to educate microscopists, spectroscopists. chemists and even non-scientists regarding the benefits of combining optical microscopy and molecular spectroscopy. We are convinced the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The very rapid acceptance of infrared microspeetroscopy by the analytical chemistry community reflects its power to solve diverse problems. One of the long time characteristics of infrared spectroscopy has been that its users vary greatly in their needs and thus in the sophistication in their systems. In connection with this, it must be realized that the fundamental laws of physics prevent the coupling of a microscope and an infrared spectrometer, in such a way as to optimize the performance of both, at a cost which can be borne by all users. As a result, some infrared microscopes have "been optimized for viewing capabilities while compromising spectroscopic capabilities and vice versa. Such compromises are not unusual in the field of infrared spectroscopy and the advantages gained by them constitute part of the reason for such widespread use of infrared in chemical analysis.