4
78 Reviews and Notices of Books. The 1Jfoderrn Hospital: : its Inspiration,. its Arohiteoture its Equipment; its Operation. By JOHN ALLAN HORNSBY, M.D., and RicCHARD E. ScHMlDT, architect. With 207 illustrations. London and Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders Company. 1913. Pp. 644. Price 30s. net. THE cooperation of medical man and architect in design- ing institutions for the reception of the sick was recognised officially in this country a long time ago by the terms of the King Edwardj VII. sanatorium prize competition; and beyond all doubt, when both parties are really experts, it is the most satisfactory way of setting about hospital construction. In this admirable volume, as the subtitle indicates, many points besides questions of planning, build- ing, and arranging a modern hospital are taken into consideration. In fact, the sections over which the two authors may be supposed to have collaborated comprise a good deal fewer pages than those for which Dr. Hornsby has presumably been alone responsible. If this is the case, we can but acknowledge immediately the energy, ability, and thoroughness with which the latter has applied himself to the minutest details as well as the broad principles of hospital management. His knowledge of this complex branch of administrative medicine entitles him to the highest respect. American hospitals are run upon lines nowhere perhaps exactly similar to, and often very dissimilar from, those followed by the voluntary hospitals of Great Britain; and in consequence there is much in this volume that is hardly applicable to our own position. Especially is this the case in dealing with problems of finance, with the admission of outside physicians and surgeons to treat their own patients in hospital wards, and with nursing. Even when dealing with matters common to both systems there are points in regard to which Dr. Hornsby’s judgment may not commend itself to all British administrators. But there will be ungrudging admission of his sincerity, his wide views, and his industry. The book, say the authors themselves, has the weakness of being a record almost wholly of the experiences of two men. The methods adopted in the Michael Reese Hospital are described throughout, and there is not much in the way of quotation of or comparison with the views of other experts and the experiences of other hospitals. This is decidedly a weakness, but it also results in an authoritative and a personal tone which brings compensating advantages. To pass under review every interesting paragraph, or even every important section, of this book would require almost a volume in itself. It is only possible to select a few topics here and there from among the thousand and one which are discussed by the authors. In the chapter on hospital construction and design a valuable feature is the atten- tion paid throughout to the cost of different materials, systems of building, styles of finish, and so on. The .operating suite is always one of the most interesting and least stereotyped of hospital units, That suggested in this book seems to us to be open to criticism. The anaes- thetising rooms open on to a corridor along which the patient must be wheeled 32 feet before he reaches the door of any of the three operating theatres. This corridor is 4 feet wide, and has ten other doors opening on to it, including those of the sterilising room, the surgeons’ preparation room, and the instrument room. It must inevitably be a scene of bustling activity on an operating day and distinctly draughty. This corridor constitutes the weakest spot in a design which seems to us in other respects faulty ; a more compact arrangement would be preferable and quite practicable. American hospitals have provided in recent years some novel and interesting experiments in the selection of medical staffs. The author favours the principle of one supreme head of each main department-surgery, medicine, obstetrics, and so on-with two or three I I associates " under him, each of whom in turn has two or three assistants who control the resident staff and students. No one can deny that the system in many instances has succeeded admirably in America, but it may be doubted whether it would answer as well in democratic England. Another American system of staff appointment is stated to have been adopted with very great success at Chicago. This is an open examina- tion in each specialty-whether conducted annually or quinquennially (or at any other interval) is not stated- in which the visiting staff have to defend their appoint- ments against the competition of other candidates. To o equalise the disadvantages of a man in active practice called upon to sit for examination alongside his juniors fresh from the schools, 40 per cent. of the marks are given for experience, ", towards which are counted marks for connexion with teaching institutions, original work, years already on the staff, and so on. The remaining 60 per cent. is given for the written examination. It is not surprising that this system was strenuously opposed by the medical profession, but it was carried through, and the results are described in glowing terms. The sections upon the preparation of catgut are excellent, and the remarks upon rubber gloves are suggestive, and hospital superintendents may well note Dr. Hornsby’s hints for checkmating chicanery in the supply of the latter. The section on ansesthetics points a useful moral in respect of the cost of gas-oxygen anxsthesia, a much-favoured method just now in the United States. On the average, it seems, this method of anaesthesia costs about 17so. an hour in the most expert and economical hands, and more than that if the institution is not big enough to buy in large quantities on the best wholesale terms. The instructions for procuring anaesthesia seem out of place in this book, which might just as reason- ably include the technique of gastro-enterostomy or the diagnosis of pneumonia. The sections on the purchase of supplies, on contracts and tenders, on the qualities that should be demanded of such articles as blankets, linens, wools, and gauzes, and on the ways of detecting fraudulent substitution and adulteration, are full of valuable information. The author’s talent for detail and insistence upon economy have evidently been well employed in this branch of hospital supervision. The plea for allowing young women to start nursing at 18 is not likely to find favour among British administrators, but the book shows much sound sense on the medical examina- tion of probationers before they are accepted for training. Hospital accountancy is another subject which is dealt with thoroughly ; and, indeed, the principal impressions retained on closing these pages are respect for the range of the authors’ knowledge and a feeling that depth has nowhere been sacrificed to versatility. Which means high praise. Die Prostitution. Von Dr. Med. IWAN BLOCH. Vol. 1. Berlin : Louis Marcus. 1912. Pp. 870. Price 10 marks. THE first two volumes of the series of handbooks dealing with the problems of sex which Dr. Iwan Bloch is editing are concerned with the important subject of prostitution. As Dr. Bloch, who is himself the author of this volume, points out in his preface, the problem of prostitution is of paramount interest in all sex questions, and he thinks the time has come when it should be considered ex- haustively from the scientific standpoint. This is to be the aim of these two volumes, and the first, at any

Reviews and Notices of Books

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Reviews and Notices of Books

78

Reviews and Notices of Books.The 1Jfoderrn Hospital: : its Inspiration,. its Arohiteoture its

Equipment; its Operation. By JOHN ALLAN HORNSBY,M.D., and RicCHARD E. ScHMlDT, architect. With207 illustrations. London and Philadelphia : W. B.Saunders Company. 1913. Pp. 644. Price 30s. net.

THE cooperation of medical man and architect in design-ing institutions for the reception of the sick was recognisedofficially in this country a long time ago by the terms ofthe King Edwardj VII. sanatorium prize competition; andbeyond all doubt, when both parties are really experts, it

is the most satisfactory way of setting about hospitalconstruction. In this admirable volume, as the subtitle

indicates, many points besides questions of planning, build-ing, and arranging a modern hospital are taken into

consideration. In fact, the sections over which the two

authors may be supposed to have collaborated comprise agood deal fewer pages than those for which Dr. Hornsbyhas presumably been alone responsible. If this is the case,we can but acknowledge immediately the energy, ability,and thoroughness with which the latter has applied himselfto the minutest details as well as the broad principles ofhospital management. His knowledge of this complexbranch of administrative medicine entitles him to the

highest respect. American hospitals are run upon lines

nowhere perhaps exactly similar to, and often very dissimilarfrom, those followed by the voluntary hospitals of Great

Britain; and in consequence there is much in this volumethat is hardly applicable to our own position. Especially isthis the case in dealing with problems of finance, with theadmission of outside physicians and surgeons to treat theirown patients in hospital wards, and with nursing. Even whendealing with matters common to both systems there are

points in regard to which Dr. Hornsby’s judgment may notcommend itself to all British administrators. But therewill be ungrudging admission of his sincerity, his wide views,and his industry.The book, say the authors themselves, has the weakness of

being a record almost wholly of the experiences of two men.The methods adopted in the Michael Reese Hospital aredescribed throughout, and there is not much in the way ofquotation of or comparison with the views of other expertsand the experiences of other hospitals. This is decidedlya weakness, but it also results in an authoritative and a

personal tone which brings compensating advantages.To pass under review every interesting paragraph, or even

every important section, of this book would require almosta volume in itself. It is only possible to select a few topicshere and there from among the thousand and one whichare discussed by the authors. In the chapter on hospitalconstruction and design a valuable feature is the atten-

tion paid throughout to the cost of different materials,systems of building, styles of finish, and so on. The

.operating suite is always one of the most interesting andleast stereotyped of hospital units, That suggested in thisbook seems to us to be open to criticism. The anaes-

thetising rooms open on to a corridor along which the patientmust be wheeled 32 feet before he reaches the door of anyof the three operating theatres. This corridor is 4 feetwide, and has ten other doors opening on to it, includingthose of the sterilising room, the surgeons’ preparation room,and the instrument room. It must inevitably be a scene ofbustling activity on an operating day and distinctly draughty.This corridor constitutes the weakest spot in a design whichseems to us in other respects faulty ; a more compactarrangement would be preferable and quite practicable.

American hospitals have provided in recent years somenovel and interesting experiments in the selection of medicalstaffs. The author favours the principle of one supreme headof each main department-surgery, medicine, obstetrics, andso on-with two or three I I associates " under him, each ofwhom in turn has two or three assistants who control theresident staff and students. No one can deny that thesystem in many instances has succeeded admirably in

America, but it may be doubted whether it would answeras well in democratic England. Another American systemof staff appointment is stated to have been adopted withvery great success at Chicago. This is an open examina-tion in each specialty-whether conducted annually or

quinquennially (or at any other interval) is not stated-

in which the visiting staff have to defend their appoint-ments against the competition of other candidates. To o

equalise the disadvantages of a man in active practicecalled upon to sit for examination alongside his juniorsfresh from the schools, 40 per cent. of the marks are givenfor experience, ", towards which are counted marks for

connexion with teaching institutions, original work, yearsalready on the staff, and so on. The remaining 60 per cent.is given for the written examination. It is not surprisingthat this system was strenuously opposed by the medicalprofession, but it was carried through, and the results aredescribed in glowing terms.The sections upon the preparation of catgut are excellent,

and the remarks upon rubber gloves are suggestive, andhospital superintendents may well note Dr. Hornsby’shints for checkmating chicanery in the supply of the

latter. The section on ansesthetics points a useful

moral in respect of the cost of gas-oxygen anxsthesia,a much-favoured method just now in the United States.On the average, it seems, this method of anaesthesiacosts about 17so. an hour in the most expert andeconomical hands, and more than that if the institutionis not big enough to buy in large quantities on the bestwholesale terms. The instructions for procuring anaesthesiaseem out of place in this book, which might just as reason-ably include the technique of gastro-enterostomy or the

diagnosis of pneumonia.The sections on the purchase of supplies, on contracts and

tenders, on the qualities that should be demanded of sucharticles as blankets, linens, wools, and gauzes, and on theways of detecting fraudulent substitution and adulteration,are full of valuable information. The author’s talent fordetail and insistence upon economy have evidently beenwell employed in this branch of hospital supervision. The

plea for allowing young women to start nursing at 18 is

not likely to find favour among British administrators, butthe book shows much sound sense on the medical examina-tion of probationers before they are accepted for training.Hospital accountancy is another subject which is dealt withthoroughly ; and, indeed, the principal impressions retainedon closing these pages are respect for the range of theauthors’ knowledge and a feeling that depth has nowherebeen sacrificed to versatility. Which means high praise.

Die Prostitution. Von Dr. Med. IWAN BLOCH. Vol. 1.Berlin : Louis Marcus. 1912. Pp. 870. Price 10 marks.

THE first two volumes of the series of handbooks dealingwith the problems of sex which Dr. Iwan Bloch is editingare concerned with the important subject of prostitution.As Dr. Bloch, who is himself the author of this volume,points out in his preface, the problem of prostitution is ofparamount interest in all sex questions, and he thinksthe time has come when it should be considered ex-

haustively from the scientific standpoint. This is to bethe aim of these two volumes, and the first, at any

Page 2: Reviews and Notices of Books

79

rate, lacks nothing in completeness. The author has a highreputation as an authority on the history of medicine, andthis book bears many marks of his erudition. The historyof prostitution is considered in detail among primitive people,among the Greeks and Romans and during the Middle Ages.In the first chapter the origin of modern prostitution and theexact definition of the term is dealt with, and then its

organisation in the earliest times is discussed. The sexual

question among the ancients and its relation to the recogni-tion and repression of prostitution is next considered, whilethe remaining chapters contain a history of the subjectin all its bearings during the Middle Ages.The work bears so clear a stamp of industry and contains

so much information that it cannot fail to remain autho-ritative for many years. Among the most interesting ofthe problems discussed is that of the effect of the spreadof socialistic ideas and the modern tendency to the

emancipation of women upon the view which will be takenin the future of this so-called necessary evil. Is it in

reality a necessity, and what are the chances of its ever

disappearing ? These and kindred problems must remainfor future years to decide, but anyone who is interested inthem will find many ideas worthy of his attention in thisbook. At the present time there is an increasing numberof publications dealing with these and kindred subjectsfrom the scientific point of view, and anyone honestlyendeavouring to solve the difficult problems concerned withsex should make himself familiar with their whole history.For this reason books of this class, although of necessitythey must contain a large amount of often unpleasantdetail the exact relevancy of which at first sight may notbe quite evident, yet serve a useful purpose, and the thanksof all the workers in this hitherto rather neglected fieldof medical science are due to Dr. Iwan Bloch and his

collaborators for their labours. The book has a good indexof subjects and authors, and there are many thousands ofreferences.

La Séarétion Palfwréatique. Par ÉMILE F. TERROINE.

(Quedions Biologiques Åat1teZZes. Collection de Mono-

graphies publiees sous la direction de M. A. DASTRE,Membre de l’Institut, Professeur la Sorbonne.) Paris :A. Hermann et Fils. 1913. Pp. 133. Price 5 francs.

WE have already had occasion to review other volumes ofthe interesting up-to-date series of " Questions BiologiquesActuelles." " This volume on the pancreatic secretion dealsstrictly with this subject and leaves aside other functionsof this gland, which differs essentially in its mechanismfrom that of the salivary gland, so much so that a knowledgeof the mechanism of the pancreatic secretion has profoundlymodified the views of biologists on the question of secretion.With the discovery of the hormone "secretin" by Baylissand Starling in 1902 the whole question of secretion appearedin a new light, for it added the conception of what theauthor calls a "chemical reflex " to the already well-known"nervous reflex. " No doubt the term "chemical reflex,"to indicate the action of a specific hormone, is convenient,and it has caught on " in French works. The author has

endeavoured to set forth in considerable detail the various

investigations in the subject from the time of Regner deGraaf (1671), and has endeavoured to enumerate the resultsthat are assured, as distinguished from the many pointsthat are still matters of controversy. A useful feature inthe text is that all dates are printed in bold black type.The whole essay is clearly expressed, and the author showsconsiderable acumen in the discussion of the complex resultsobtained by different observers.The characters of the juice itself are first described. An

account is then given of the normal excitants. The ques-tion as to the nervous or chemical factor, or both, in the

excito-secretory process is next discussed, and the authorcomes to the conclusion that no extrinsic nervous action is

necessary in connexion with the action of hydrochloric acidin the formation of secretin. The localisation, absorption,course and mode of action of secretin are then discussed,and its effects are compared with those of the extracts ofsome other organs, and the author comes to the conclusion

that no irrefutable proof has been given that secretin acts onany other glandular system than on the intestine and theglands in relation to it. It excites not only the pancreas,but also the intestinal glands and the liver. Those substanceswhich excite lymphatic glands have nothing in common withthe excito-secretory substance of the pancreas. There seemsto be no positive proof of the existence of a nervous

mechanism. At most, the existence of such a mechanism is

extremely disputable, although, of course, extrinsic nervousinfluences powerfully affect the pancreatic secretion.

This is a pleasantly written, comprehensive, but not tooextensive monograph, which should be in the hands of allphysiologists. It deals in no way with the pathology of thesecretion. It also shows how much there is yet leftunknown. A bibliography of about 14 pages, arrangedaccording to chapters, concludes an excellent compilationand envisagement of the present position of the pancreaticsecretion. "

-Fortseltritte der Naturmissenschaftlichen ’orsehcng. Heraus-- gegeben von Prof. Dr. E. ABDERHALDEN. Halle a.S.gegeben von Prof. Dr. E. ABDERHALDEN. Halle a.S.Acter Band. 217 Textabbildungen und 1 Tafel. Berlinund Wien : Urban und Schwarzenberg. 1913. Pp. 308.Price, paper, 15 marks ; bound, 17 marks.THE contents of this Band are made up of the following

six papers: The Present Position of Investigations in

Metallography, by Dr. W. Guertler, of Berlin-Griin ewald ; OurKnowledge regarding the Oldest Tetrapods or Quadrupeds,by Professor F. Broili, of Munich; the Scientific and

Economic Importance of the Economics of Lakes, by Dr.W. Cronheim, of Berlin, who has died since the article waswritten ; the Galls of Plants, by Professor Dr. E. Kuster, ofBonn; the Pairing and the Deposition of Eggs by Fresh-water Insects, by Dr. C. Wesenberg-Lund, of Hillerod,Denmark; and Architecture and Earthquakes, by ProfessorF. Frech, of Breslau.

Professor Broili’s contribution on the oldest quadrupedsextends to over 40 pages, is well illustrated, and gives avery full account of the footprints and fossilised parts ofthe skeleton and teeth of these primitive quadrupeds asthey occur in the older geological strata. The articleshould interest geologists, paleontologists, and comparativeanatomists. As to the economy of lakes, this is treatedfrom the point of their animal and vegetable life and theimportance of non-contamination of inland waters. The

paper by Dr. C. Wesenberg-Lund is quite one of the mostinteresting articles and should find appreciation amongstthose who are interested in insect life. It will be seen that

though there is much of general interest, there is nothingthat specially bears upon medicine in this volume.

M/lScle Spasm and Degeneration in Intrathoraeie Inflamma-tions and Light 2’OMoA Palpation. By FRANCIS MARINIPOTTINGER, A.M., M.D., LL.D., Medical Director of thePottinger Sanatorium for Diseases of the Lungs andThroat. London : Henry Kimpton. 1912. Pp. 105.Price 9s.IN this volume Dr. Pottinger records the results of his own

observations during three years. He describes certain

changes which he has noted in the muscles overlying inflam-matory areas of the lungs and pleura. The conditions which

he has recorded are a spasm of the muscles and thorax on the

affected side when the lungs or pleura are acutely inflamed,and a degeneration of the same when the process has passed

Page 3: Reviews and Notices of Books

80

over into a chronic state. He maintains that the muscles of t

the neck and those covering the chest show all gradations Iof change from the acute spasm to severe degeneration, jaccording to the acuteness of the inflammatory process (

affecting the pulmonary parenchyma and pleura. Therefore,he says, the same thorax presents widely different condi- stions in different groups of muscles; further, these changes, Iwhile perceived by inspection and ordinary palpation, become i

especially noticeable when examined by light touch palpation.From these premises he maintains that these changes areof importance as diagnostic aids, and that they exert aninfluence in producing and altering the usual well-established i

physical signs. <

Dr. Pottinger’s observations are worthy of notice by 1

other observers. The flattening" " of the chest over the side vof a tuberculous lesion is, of course, generally recognised, 1

but his explanations are not the same as those which have i

been generally accepted. He is of opinion that the muscles i

attached to the upper part of the chest are in a state of ]

degeneration, and he ascribes this condition as being due, 1

at least partly, to the continuous irritation caused by an 1impulse from the lung and pleura keeping up muscle stimu- (

lation over a long period of time, and as being similar to i

the degeneration following excessive work," although he 1

thinks that ’’ it might be partly a trophic disturbance i

analogous to the motor and sensory changes." Dr. Pottinger <

is very candid in discussing this matter, and quotes various <

observers who have attempted to detect the muscle change, (

and have been unable to satisfy themselves as to its value. l

This is a subject that might well be further investigated.A description is given of "light touch palpation," and <

the possibility and practicability of delimiting normal organs aand diagnosing diseased conditions within the chest and <

abdomen by very light touch. This method of diagnosishas been cultivated by other physicians, but in any very <light percussion it is difficult entirely to eliminate the i

personal equation, and therefore the results are not so 1

universally accepted as are those of other methods of

physical examination.

Die Entstehung der splbdriscaen Refraktionen des MensohliohenAuges. By Dr. ADOLF STEIGER, Ophthalmic Surgeon inZilrich. Berlin : S. Karger. 1913. Pp. Surgeon inZurich. Berlin: S. Karger. 1913. Pp. 567. Price,unbound, 18 marks ; bound, 20 marks.

IT is the lot of the reviewer of ophthalmic works to criticisemany books on refraction. In these it is the exception tofind any great originality of treatment, for most are of an ielementary character intended for the instruction of themedical student. The present work belongs to a more select 1category, for it is an attempt to account for the varieties ofspherical refraction-hypermetropia, emmetropia, and myopia- own biological grounds. The many theories on the subjectare themselves sufficient proof that none is wholly satis-factory. Dr. Steiger is not the first to whom it has appearedevident that, at any rate, the lower grades of ametropiashould be regarded as natural variations in the evolutionarysense of the word. Mauthner long ago pointed out thatsince the radius of curvature of the cornea varies from 7 to8-5 mm. in length, the length of the emmetropic eye shouldvary from 22’25 to 26’24 mm., and these numbers agreewell with actual measurements by Schnabel and Herrn-

heiser ; yet the student is generally taught that the em-metropic eye is 23 mm. long. Dr. Steiger is the first

to our knowledge who has attempted to substantiate the

biological argument. Probably many others have been

discouraged by the complexity of the problem, and it

must be admitted that the author, by dismissing some-what cavalierly the possibility of change in positionand refractivity of the lens and admitting only variations in

the corneal curvature and length of the eye, simplifies theproblem, and perhaps to an extent more than facts fullyjustify. Be that as it may, he has made a very valuablecontribution to this branch of ophthalmology.The book is divided into six parts, which deal with

statistics, current theories of the causation of myopia,heredity, the significance of variation in the theory ofrefraction, and the developmental foundations of the

genesis of various types of spherical refraction. Theauthor’s material for observation consisted of 46,000school children of 6 or 7 years of age, many of whomwere again examined five and a half years later. His experi-ence and very exhaustive analysis of published statistics ledhim to the conclusion that the refraction must vary withinwide limits as a normal process, that the differencesbetween uneducated and educated people (Natur- und Kultur-volker) as regards their conditions of refraction are

independent of the individual, and that these conditions arepresent before near work is embarked upon ; in fact, thatthey are to be explained on phylogenetic, not on ontogeneticgrounds. He shows that the corneal refraction of 5000 eyesof children aged 6-7 years follows a binomial curve-thatis, a curve showing a symmetrical rise and fall. Combiningthis result with the analysis of the actual refractions, hefinds that the most favourable total refraction-i.e.,emmetropia-is due not to a fixed combination of two

constants, but to a whole series of very diverse combinationsof various corneal refractions with corresponding axial

lengths.We hope that the ponderous fashion in which the

argument is set forth will not prevent its receiving theattention it merits. The broad biological aspects of this andother problems of ophthalmology-we may cite squintas an example-have been rather neglected. They havea very definite bearing upon treatment, and may account, forinstance, for the not infrequent failure of the orthoptictreatment of the latter disorder.

Lehrbuch der Chirurgie. Herausgegeben von ProfessorWULLSTEIN, Halle, und Professor WILMS, Heidelberg.Dritte umgearbeitete Auflage. Jena: Gustav Fischer.1912. Vol. I., pp. 660, price 10.50 marks ; Vol. II.,pp. 496, price 8 marks; Vol. III., pp. 622, price11 marks.

THIS treatise on surgery occupies a very high position inGerman surgical literature, and the appearance of three

editions.in little more than four years testifies that the work

is appreciated by the profession. There have appearedHungarian and Russian translations, and we are informedthat an Italian version is in preparation, so there is stillfurther evidence of the popularity of the book. The greatmerit of the work is that while the several subjects have beenentrusted to specialists, very great care has been taken thatthe attention devoted to each section is maintained at a

very uniform level, so that no subject has been neglectedand none treated too extensively. The book is adequatelyillustrated, as it contains more than 1000 illustrations, andmany of these are in colour. We would only suggest that ageneral index to the three volumes would be an advantage.

Ionic Medication : The Principles of the Method and anAccount of the Clinical Results Obtained. By H. LEmsJONES, M.D. Cantab. London : H. K. Lewis. 1913.JONES. M.D.Cantab. London: H. E. Lewis. 1913.Pp. 151. Price 5s. net.

THIS volume will be welcomed for many reasons. The

writings of Dr. Lewis Jones have done more than anyothers to give medical electricity the position it now holds inthis country, and it is also greatly due to him that ionicmedication has made such rapid strides towards professionalfavour. With the increasing popularity of this form of

Page 4: Reviews and Notices of Books

81

medication has arisen a demand for a complete treatise onthe subject, and this demand is now completely satisfied bythe volume before us.

The author has avoided theoretical discussions as far as

possible, and has confined himself for the most part to

practical considerations and results. As might be expected,the conditions treated are nearly all of a superficialcharacter, and indeed it is only in these that the methodshould be used. The author rightly makes his protestagainst the way subjects of chronic polyarticular arthritisare exploited, mostly by unqualified persons who practisewhat they are pleased to call ionic medication. The,medical man who is anxious to improve his knowledgeof this method will here find full details of procedure,apparatus, and technique in the first two chapters. Theuse of the metallic antiseptic ions is dealt with in Chapter III., and then follow others on the ions of other metals-chlorine, iodine, and so on-each of the more (

important ions having a chapter to itself. We unhesitatingly recommend this useful volume to all I

who are interested in the application of electricity to thecure of disease.

Handbuch der Speziellen Pathologie des Harns. Von fDr. Med. FERDINAND BLUMENTHAL, Universitats Pro- Ifessor in Berlin. Berlin und Wien: Urban und

Schwarzenberg. 1913. Pp. 492. Price, paper, 15 marks ; r

bound, 17 marks. t

THIS book deals with the changes which occur in the urine nin various conditions of disease. It commences with the e

urinary changes in the infectious diseases, such as typhoid a

fever, pneumonia, tetanus, and syphilis ; then come the changes in starvation ; afterwards those found in diseases of g

metabolism, such as diabetes, gout, and so on. Chapters nfollow on the urinary changes in patients suffering from amalignant growths, in chlorosis, in diseases of the stomach gand liver and of the nervous system. A chapter on the effect wof disease of the kidney itself concludes the volume. The c;book is very well written, and will be valuable to those gworking in this branch of medicine, for numerous refer- d,

ences to papers and treatises are given. The work is supple- te

mentary to a volume published by the same author on the to

general pathology of the urine. fo

&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;

B

LIBRARY TABLE.

Tlce Insanity of Genius. By the late J. F. NISBET.Sixth edition. London: Stanley Paul and Co. Pp. 341.Price 5s. net.-This work, first published in 1891, has nowreached its sixth edition. Its interest chiefly lies in theshort biographical notices of various men of genius whichit contains, and which draw attention to the eccentricitiesof many such persons and the mental failings, both ofthemselves and other members of their families. The

psychological pathology of the book is scarcely up to

date, and few would nowadays allow that, except super-ficially, the conditions of mind in insanity and in geniushave much in common. The outstanding symptomin mental defect is psychic inhibition, while the out-

standing manifestation of genius is the precise opposite.So, too, the modern metaphysician would probably be

not a little surprised to learn that ’’ when Fritsch and

Hitzig bared a dog’s brain upon their dissecting-table andfound that an electric stimulus applied to certain convolu-tions caused spasmodic movements of the opposite side of theanimal’s body, they laid the foundation of the modern systemof metaphysics." The reader must wonder what the authormeant by metaphysics, or whether it can really be butrecently that the conceptions dealt with by metaphysics havewonderfully widened. Medicine cannot afford to despise the

magnificent work of the mid-Victorian era, and indeed it mustenvy some of its scientific dogmatism. What a hush of

peace would pass over our field of controversies if the

modernism of to-day accepted the author’s statement that"in the modern theory of brain-function ...... there is no

place for that bugbear of the older metaphysicians, the will."Text-book of Diseases of the Nose, Throat, and Eccr for the

Use of General Practitioners. By FRANCIS R. PACKARD.Second edition. With 135 illustrations. London and

Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. 1913. Pp. 377.Price 15s. net.-Dr. Packard has brought out a secondedition of his book, which has been written to supply theneeds of the post-graduate as well as the under-graduate.He gives very useful information, in an extremely readableform, of most of the diseases of the nose, throat, andear. The work is intended for the use not of the

specialist but of those who require a description neither toodeep nor too learned of the more common diseases of the

regions of which it treats ; and for this purpose it will provemost useful.

Elementary Bacteriology and Protozo&ouml;logy: the Micro-biological Causes of the Infectious Diseases. By HERBERTFox, M.D., Director of the William Pepper Laboratory ofClinical Medicine in the University of Pennsylvania, &c.

London : J. and A. Churchill. 1913. Pp. 237. Price 6s. 6d.

net.-This little book on bacteriology and protozoology is in-tended to " give the nurse and the beginner an idea as to thenature of micro-organisms and their relation to the world’seconomy, especially in disease." For such uses it is well

adapted. After a brief sketch of the history of our know-ledge of the causes of infection the author deals briefly withgeneral morphology and biology of micro-organisms, withmethods of culture, staining, and sterilisation, with immunity,and so forth. He then gives an account of the principal patho-genic organisms, dealing first with the bacteria and afterwardswith the protozoa, with a short chapter on diseases of unknowncausation, such as scarlet fever and yellow fever. Finally, aglossary explanatory of the terms in use is appended. The

iescriptions are succinct, not to say sketchy, in places. The

terms used sometimes differ from those to which we are accus-

tomed, the bacillus tuberculosis and the B. diphtheri&aelig; being,for example, termed respectively bacterium tuberculosis andBact. diphtheri&aelig;, while the micrococcus melitensis is termedbacillus melitensis. The organism of syphilis is included

among the bacteria, while that of relapsing fever is. accounted a protozoon. The book is clearly printed and fully. illustrated, many coloured plates being included. We donot understand the statement on p. 36, " Of the saprophytese of protozoa practically nothing is known," an enormousL number of forms being known which are not parasitic. Ands what is glaring " mucus at the back of the throat ? ,

Kompendium der R&ouml;ntgentherapie. By Dr. H. E.e SCHMIDT. Third edition. Berlin: August Hirschwald.

1913. Pp. 227. Price 5 marks.-Of the many text-bookson its subject this is one of the best. As he deals

exclusively with roentgentherapy the author is able to

condense within 200 pages most of the best and newest

work on Roentgen treatment. The indications for the treat-

ment of the various skin diseases are fully described, as isalso the technique for the irradiation of myoma and otheruterine diseases.

Lessons in Elenientary Hygiene and Sanitation, with SpecialReference to the Tropics. By W. T. PROUT, C.M.G., M.B.,C.M. Edin., Medical Adviser to the Colonial Office, late

Principal Medical Officer, Sierra Leone. Third edition.

London: J. and A. Churchill. 1913. Pp. 184. Price

2s. 6d. net.-This work, which is an amplification of sixlectures delivered by the author in Sierra Leone, isintended for an elementary text-book to be used in schools