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 NEW BOOKS, WITH SHOET NOTICES. 



Manual of Human and Comparative Histology. Edited by S. 

 Strieker, assisted by others. Vol. III. Translated by Henry Power, 

 M.B., Loud., Examiner in Physiology to the University of London. 

 The New Sydenham Society, London, 1873. — The third and last 

 volume of Dr. Strieker's valuable work is now before us, and we think 

 that though the time has appeared long since the fii'st made its appear- 

 ance, the editor is, nevertheless, to be congratulated upon the result. 

 And, furthermore, we owe Mr. Power our thanks for, as in the former 

 volumes, a translation whose merits and advantages cannot very well 

 be overrated. In so far as we can speak of the present volume we must 

 confess to a little disapjDointment, not so much in regard to the matter 

 as to the absence of material which we expected the third volume 

 would open out to us. But, doubtless, this circumstance could not be 

 helped ; and with some few objections to certain parts of the entire 

 work, and to the entire absence of any common plan, we cannot but 

 award the highest praise to Dr. Strieker for the patience which he has 

 shown and the ability he has displayed in producing a work which, 

 all things considered, is without a doubt the finest treatise of the kind 

 which has yet been issiled by any printing press in the world. Histo- 

 logical readers will recollect that it is exactly twenty years since the 

 first volume of KoUiker's manual appeared in this country, under 

 the combined editorship of Professor Huxley and Mr. Busk. And 

 they will probably remember how that work was then considered much 

 too far advanced for anyone but the special student of Histology. 

 Yet, Kolliker is as much behind-hand now, when compared with 

 Strieker, as he was foremost at the date we mention. It would not 

 be fair to object to the incompleteness and inequality of the materials 

 comprising the volumes of this work, without acknowledging that the 

 editor sees these defects as clearly as anyone else. For he says, a 

 " review of the whole work, however, compels me to admit that it does 

 not present the same uniformity that it would otherwise have done had 

 it been the outcome of a jingle master-mind. Some pages glow with 

 the results of the long-continued industry of the best investigators of 

 our time ; and sometimes, again, these nodal points, so to speak, appear 

 joined together by the labour of younger hands. It lacks, however, 

 that whitewash with which our master-builders, following the usual 

 custom, are wont to cover their constructions in order to hide from the 

 eyes of the observers all the piece-work of their men — the good bits 

 equally with the bad." The only question is, whether, if Dr. Strieker 

 had taken sufficient trouble, he might not have found for each subject 

 one who was eminently distinguished in it. We consider he might 

 have ; but it is useless now to think about it. 



The subjects dealt with in the present volume are not numerous, 

 but some of them are of considerable importance. For example : 

 Herr T. W. Engleman has the organs of taste allotted to him. Herr 

 J. Kessel has described the external and middle ear, exclusive of the 



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