No. 3. April, 1921] PHYSIOLOGY 303 



PHYSIOLOGY 



B. M. DtJGGAH, Editor 

 C. W. Dodge, Assistant Editor 



GENERAL 



2112. Massart, Jean. Elements de biologie generale et de botanique. [Elements of 

 general biology and botany.] Vol. 1, Part L 208 p., 188 fig. Maurice Lamertin: Bruxelles, 

 1920.— The complete work will consist of 2 volumes aggregating 640 pages, with 500 figures. 

 Volume I, Part I, contains General Biology and Part II, Protista. Volume II will consist of 

 Part III, Metaphyta. (Protista include protozoans and protophytes.) — General Biology, 

 here abstracted, is divided into three chapters: (I) Life and death, (II) the cell, (III) the 

 factors in evolution. In Chapter I are presented the ten headings considered below: (1) The 

 forces active in organisms. Herein is revealed one of the author's characteristic vie-svpoints. 

 The opening sentence reads, "It has taken long centuries to rid biology of the prejudice that the 

 activity of living things is different from that of inorganic nature." Bichat's definition, 

 "Life is the ensemble of conditions which resists death," is given as representative of the view- 

 point of naturalists up to about 1800, organisms being considered as showing a vital force 

 not only distinct from, but directly opposed to, such forces as heat, gravitation, and light. 

 Artificial synthesis of complex animal and vegetable substances, energy transformations in 

 livingthings, and other considerations lead the author to state: "No vital force exists that does 



not resolve itself wholly into chemical and physical forces Because most vital 



processes are too complex to be interpreted by us at present, is it a reason for hiding our 

 ignorance behind the fallacious doctrine of a vital force?" Brief mention is made of the rela- 

 tive importance of heat, molecular forces, gravitation, light, chemical energy, electricity, 

 magnetism, X-rays, and radioactivity. (2) Biogenic elements. The unique properties of the 

 element carbon, which so admirably qualify it to be the essential constituent of all "living 

 molecules," are discussed. (3) The origin of life. (4) Conditions favorable to life. Here 

 are discussed: integrity of structure, temperature, osmotic pressure, manometric pressure, 

 oxidizable substances and oxygen, environment unfavorable to life. (5) Specificity of re- 

 quirements. (6) Accommodation to temperature, water, osmotic pressure, nutrition, oxygen; 

 influence on distribution. (7) Retarded activity and latent life. (8) Death. (9) The germi- 

 nalline. (10) The loss of mortality. (11) The duration of life. — Chapter II presents a consid- 

 eration of the cell in four sections: (1) Cell structure, cell secretions, intercellular communi- 

 cations, cell evolution, relations between cell organs. (2) Arrangement of cells. (3) Func- 

 tions of the cell. The last topic is discussed under three headings: (a) Molecular phenomena, 

 intracellular pressure, turgescence and plasmolysis, osmotic pressure and growth, relation of 

 ameboid movements to intercellular circulation and surface tension, hygroscopic movements, 

 (b) Metabolism of the cell, cellular enzymes, production of energy, elimination of waste 

 products, (c) Irritability. Protoplasm is considered as composed of more or less liquid 

 colloids held in a reticulum of more or less solid colloids. Stimuli are treated in four sections : 

 (a) The stimulus, sense organs, anaesthesia, nature of stimuli (internal or external) ; (b) conduc- 

 tion of stimulus; (c) the reaction (tonus, interferences, response); (d) duration and intensity 

 of reflex periods. (4) Geriesis of cells, including determination of sex. — In Chapter III, the 

 discussion is carried out under four headings: (1) Heredity. (2) Variability, fluctuation and 

 mutation. (3) Selection. (4) Method in phytogeny. — Throughout the discussions the mechan- 

 ical, physical, and chemical aspects of vital phenomena are emphasized, and an abundance of 

 illustrative material is drawn from unicellular forms and from higher plants and animals, 

 the latter being frequently contrasted and compared. Experiments are described to illus- 

 trate important phenomena. — Lee M. Hutchins. 



PROTOPLASM, MOTILITY 



2113. BoLTE, Elisabeth. Uber die Wirkung von Licht und Kohlensaure auf die Beweg- 

 lichkeit griiner und farbloser Schwarmzellen. [The effect of light and carbonic acid on the 

 motility of green and colorless swarm cells.] Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. 59: 288-324. 1919.— An inves- 



