LITERARY NOTICES. 



707 



scribed, and the various reactions are ex- 

 plained. The section describing peptones 

 now includes albumoses, that are classed 

 with the former, both on' account of their 

 close relationship and for convenience. The 

 author calls attention to the fact that va- 

 rious substances that have been described 

 as peptones have consisted, to an extent at 

 least, of a mixture of true peptones with va- 

 riable quantities of albumoses, and that our 

 knowledge of true peptones is at present in 

 a state of transition. In fact, as he truly 

 states, until some new property of proteids 

 is discovered by which their absolute purity 

 may be determined, the question of the con- 

 stitution of proteids will probably remain 

 unsolved. 



A new section is added on the enzymes, 

 in which we find descriptions of trypsinogen, 

 pialyn, rennin, muscle- enzyme, and urea- 

 enzyme. 



In the section on the nitrogenous non-crys- 

 talline bodies allied to proteids, descriptions 

 of the mucin of bile, of that of the submaxil- 

 lary gland, and of that of the umbilical cord, 

 of gelatin-peptones, of neurokeratin, of chi- 

 tin, and of nucleo-albumins have been added. 

 In the section on carbohydrates the dex- 

 trins are now well described ; while the su- 

 gars are satisfactorily explained by Emil 

 Fischer's able researches regarding the sev- 

 eral members of this class of carbohydrates. 



In the sections on the fatty acids and fats, 

 on the amides and amido-acids, on urea and 

 the uric-acid group, on the bile acids, and 

 on the coloring matters and pigments of the 

 animal body, much recent material has been 

 incorporated, while a brief section is devoted 

 to ptomaines and leucomaines. 



The volume is a most useful addition to 

 the literature of the subject ; the numerous 

 references it contains will permit the student 

 to consult original authorities should he so de- 

 sire ; while in general an immense amount of 

 time will be saved for those studying this 

 subject by this collocation of results that are 

 scattered throughout medical literature. 



English Classics for Schools. New York : 

 American Book Company, 1893. 



An admirable idea is embodied in the 

 series of English Classics for Schools of the 

 American Book Company — a series in which 

 the masterpieces of English literature are pre- 



sented in attractive form for reading in class 

 or for supplementary reading. Of this series 

 there are now sent to us Ten Selections from 

 the Sketch Book of Washington Irving, 

 Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and 

 his Comedy of Twelfth Night, at the price of 

 twenty cents each, and Sir Walter Scott's 

 Ivanhoe at fifty cents. With the text are 

 given brief notices of the author, with analy- 

 ses of the particular works. 



Finger Prints. By Francis Galton. New 

 York : Macmillan & Co. Pp. 216. Price, 

 $2. 



Mr. Galton's attention having been di- 

 rected to the individuality and significance 

 of the marks made by the tips of the fingers, 

 he was surprised when he came to inquire 

 into the subject at perceiving what had been 

 done, and what a promising field of inquiry 

 still lay in it. He found it of real impor- 

 tance and investigated it, with results, truly 

 curious and valuable, which are given in this 

 book. The account begins with notices of 

 the previous employment of finger prints 

 among various nations, with objects partly 

 superstitious and partly ceremonial ; then 

 various methods of making good prints are 

 described at length ; next, the character 

 and purpose of the ridges, whose lineations 

 appear in the finger prints, are discussed. 

 These preliminary topics having been dis- 

 posed of, the inquiry proper begins with a 

 discussion of the various patterns formed by 

 the lineations, illustrated by plates of the 

 principal varieties. The question is raised 

 as to the persistence of the patterns, or 

 whether or no they are so durable as to af- 

 ford a sure basis for identification, and is 

 answered, except as to proportions, in the 

 affirmative. An attempt is made to appraise 

 the evidential value of finger prints by the 

 common laws of probability. A succeeding 

 chapter deals with the frequency with which 

 the several kinds of patterns appear on the 

 different digits of the same person ; and in 

 it unexpected relationships and distinctions 

 are established between different fingers and 

 the two hands. Methods of indexing are dis- 

 cussed and proposed, by which a set of fin- 

 ger prints may be so described that it may 

 easily be searched for and found in any 

 large collection. The practical results of 

 the inquiry are discussed as to its possible 



