TEACHING AND LEARNING. 21 



the latter, as they should, the}' have a firm foundation to build 

 upon. Every topic personally studied in the laboratory by a 

 student becomes a centre of illumination for a large circle of 

 theoretical study, which, without the practical work, is misty 

 and well-nigh meaningless. Such topics are like determina- 

 tions of latitude and longitude in the construction of a map; 

 they give an absolute location of a number of the most impor- 

 tant points, allowing the intermediate topography to be 

 sketched in without sensible error. It is for this reason that 

 topics calling for book and lecture study here and there in the 

 course are entirely profitable. 



To learn to use literature properly is an essential part of a 

 scientific education. A habit should be formed of consulting 

 the original papers whenever possible, and of comparing the 

 work of different authorities upon the same subject. The great 

 accumulation of literature makes it necessary also not only that 

 the student shall be able to read absorptively and critically, but 

 also that he acquire the power of extracting the substance of a 

 work by skimming its pages or from inspection of its tables of 

 contents, figures, or summaries. In such a course as this, 

 however, supposed to be taken by undergraduate seniors, it is 

 obviously impossible to carry the consultation of the original 

 literature very far, but enough of it should be done to empha- 

 size its value. Original papers can at least often be brought 

 into the laboratory and looked over, even if not read. Happily, 

 however, for such a course as this, the literature is admirably 

 summarized in Pfeffer's " Handbook of Physiology,' of which 

 the first half has appeared and has been translated into English. 

 It is assumed throughout this course that the student careful ly 

 reads this indispensable book. He should also consult Noll's 

 " Physiology ' in the Bonn Text-book, Vines' " Text-book ' 

 and his older <4 Lectures, ' ' and Sachs' " Lectures, ' ' though the 

 two latter must be used with some caution as they are not up 

 to the times in their facts. Sachs should be read as a model 

 of scientific exposition, expressed in an attractive style. Very 

 suggestive and valuable for its breadth and point of view is 



