838 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Knowledge of the life history of the typhoid germ and registration of vital 

 statistics are important, and presumptive tests for Bacillus coli com munis arc 

 considered valuable. In the author's opinion corrective treatment may he 

 applied by the individual but should be applied to the entire supply. It may 

 consist in (1) prevention of pollution, (2) adoption of a pure supply, (3) purifi- 

 cation of an inferior supply. Control by boards of health, with Federal control 

 as a last resort, is suggested. In any case ample power and funds should he 

 provided. 



In selecting method of securing pure water with limited resources it is inad- 

 visable to strive for ideal results in some detail at expense of greater general 

 benefit. 



The sanitary value of a water analysis, L. P. Kinnictjtt (Science, n. ser., 2.) 

 (1906), No. 576, pp. 56-66). — The snhstanee of this paper has been noted from 

 another source (E. S. R., 17. p. 611). 



On the detection of fecal contamination of drinking water, Christian 

 (Arch. Hi/!/.. 54 ( 1905), No. '/. />/>. 386-395). — After briefly reviewing the litera- 

 ture bearing directly upon this subject, the author reports tests of Eijkmann's 

 method." which is based upon the ability of colon bacilli to grow at 46° C. By 

 varying the temperature it was found that certain organisms of the coli groups 

 derived from cold-blooded animals were active at 37° but not at 40°. In case 

 of the organisms derived from warm-blooded animals, however, there was 

 growth at 4('.° C. 



Sewerage and sewage purification, M. X. Baker (New York: D. Van Nos- 

 trand Co., 1905; rev. in .lour. Amer. Client. Soc, 27 i 1905), No. 12, p. 1573). — This 

 is a second edition of this book, which was first published in 1895. The part which 

 treats of sewage purification has been almost entirely rewritten and embodies 

 the advances in methods which have been made in this country and in England 

 in recent years, including discussions of treatment of sewage by intermittent 

 filtration beds, septic tanks, contact beds, and percolating filters. 



A review of the laws forbidding pollution of inland waters in the United 

 States, E. B. Goodell (l\ S. (leol. Survey, Wetter-Supply and Irrig. Paper No. 

 152. pp. 149). — This is a second revised edition of Water-Supply and Irrigation 

 Paper No. 103 (E. S. R.. Id. p. 721). 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



Treatise on soils for farmers and foresters, E. A. Mitscherlich (Boden- 

 kunde fiir L<in<l- mid Forstwirte. Berlin: Paul Parey, 1905, pp. 17/Z + J6'.'/. figs. 

 £8). — This book treats the subject of soils, as they occur in nature, solely from 

 the physical and chemical standpoints without reference to geological origin or 

 previous history, the author taking the position that the only connecting link 

 between geological and physiological soil knowledge is that furnished by the 

 fundamental sciences — physics and chemistry. 



Accordingly, after a brief introduction defining the word soil and discussing 

 the value of soils and the purpose of soil investigation, the book proceeds at 

 once to the consideration of (1) the physical nature of soil samples. (2) the 

 chemical nature of soil samples, and (3) soils in place. 



The first part includes specific characteristic of the solid soil particles, the 

 relation of these particles to one another and to the volume of space in soil, soil 

 water and its relation to the solid soil particles, soil atmosphere and its relation 

 to soil water and to the solid' soil particles, and the relation of soils to heat. 



flCentbl. Bakt. [etc.], 1. Abt, Orig.. 37 (11004). No. 5, p. 742. 



