226 ON RUDIMENTS OF PATHOLOGICAL HISTOLOGY. 



What Wecll's work truly is, and what it might, in a some- 

 what lengthy title, be styled, is — The records of the labours of 

 a sinqle individual in Patholofiical Anatomy in which Histology 

 has been cliiejiy considered. In this circumstance lies the great 

 value of Wedl's book — its originality : he has observed for 

 himself, described for himself, thought for himself, and, what 

 is of no small importance, he has illustrated for himself. Thus 

 it is that his observations have a circumstantial importance, 

 and his faithful records become a truthful authority, so valuable 

 for future reference. The general scope of the work may be 

 best described in the Author's own words — 



" The plan followed in the work has loeen the giving, in the first place, 

 as a methodical foundation, general morphological views and theoi'ies of 

 development witli respect to exitdations, atrophy, hypcrtrojyhy, the forma- 

 tion of inorganic and of organic substances, and particularly of new-formed 

 elementary organs and their various combinations. 



" In the special part the subjects treated of are arranged in families : I. In- 

 organic formations ; II. Atrophies; III, Hypertrophies; IV. Exudations; 

 V. New formations ; VI. Parasites." 



Mr. Busk, in his translation, has omitted, and we think very 

 judiciously, all notice of the Chapter on Parasites, which really 

 have nothing to do with pathology. 



It is not our purpose to dwell farther upon Dr. WedFs 

 labours ; and we will only add that we entirely agree with his 

 translator's remark, that — " the extent of original information 

 and original illustration in his work will always entitle it to a 

 high place." 



On the manner in which Mr. Busk has fulfilled his task of 

 translating and editing this volume we need scarcely remark. 

 We have not only to thank him for an agreeable and facile 

 translation of the original text, but for many valuable annota- 

 tions in the form of foot-notes, for a voluminous index, and a 

 copious table of ' contents' appended to the volume. There 

 is, however, one point in which, we think, he has not used his 

 editorial functions with his usual judgment : he remarks at the 

 end of his preface — " The descriptions of the figures, usually 

 placed at the bottom of the page, are here given together at the 

 end of the book — an arrangement which it is hoped will be found 

 convenient for reference." We really do not see in what this 

 is more convenient than the old method ; indeed we have found 

 it decidedly inconvenient, and we should have preferred cast- 

 ing our eyes from the figure to the bottom of the same page, 

 for the description, to the somewhat tedious process of referring 

 backwards and forwards over some hundreds of pages for the 

 same purpose. 



We fear, however, that we may be accused of hypercriticism 

 in noticing this trivial objection amid such general excellence. 



