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 NEW BOOKS, WITH SHOET NOTICES. 



A Heport on the Microscopic Objects found in Cholera Evacuations. 

 By Timothy Eichards Lewis, M.B, Printed by order of Govern- 

 ment. Calcutta : Office of Superintendent of Government Printing. 

 1870. — It is but a few years since great sensation was produced by 

 Hallier's researches into the nature and cause of cholera. It was 

 then pretty nearly believed that the cholera-fungus was 'really the 

 cause of the disease, and that by avoiding connection with this plant 

 the disease might be altogether avoided. But of late so much good 

 work has been done on the subject of cholera-causation, that the Ger- 

 man Professor's ideas have been shown to be extremely vague, and to 

 be de\'oid of that care and precaution in their formation which are so 

 essential in all experiments relating to the question, Whence comes 

 cholera ? We do not see that the author of the present volume had a 

 very difficult task to perform in exposing the error and manifest care- 

 lessness of Professor Hallier's opinions. Still, it is perhaj)s as well 

 that he should have done so, for so many people are prepared to 

 believe anything stated on German authority, that the cholera-fungus 

 may have yet many supporters, even in this country. But apart 

 altogether from the several views which have from time to time been 

 put forward on the cholera-fungus subject, this work has a special 

 value. It is not that the author has committed himself to any view 

 or endeavoured to support any paiiticular theory ; but from the cir- 

 cumstance that he has exposed somewhat fully the views of the fungus 

 theorists, and has himself more fully than anyone else gone into the 

 whole subject, and cultivated at considerable trouble, and with the 

 most careful investigation, the various fungus bodies, and so far shown 

 that the theories held uj)on the subject have really no foundation in 

 point of fact. 



The work is somewhat unsatisfactory in design, being rather a 

 record of experiments than a continuous essay on the subject. Still, 

 it is extremely valuable from the number of microscopic drawings 

 (more than 100) which it contains, some of them being copies of those 

 of other observers, but the great majority being the results of the 

 author's inquiries into the subject. We notice that the powers em- 

 ployed are, generally speaking, very low ; indeed, the highest, we 

 think, employed is 600 diameters. We fancy that this was an error. 

 Undoubtedly, with higher powers much more would have been 

 observed ; and we think it is to be regretted, for the work is tlie fullest 

 and, from its illustrations, the most complete on the subject. The 

 j)lan of the volume is somewhat vague, but the end is clearly attained, 

 and shows us that we cannot hold any of the existing theories as to the 

 cholera-fungus proposition. It by no means proves that cholera is not 

 projiagated by fungi ; but it shows that the present theories have in fact 

 no foundation. Here and there the author points out some remarkable 

 facts, as, for example, the development oi Mucor irom. Penicillium ; but 

 on the whole his inquiries are valuable but from one aspect, that of the 

 cholera-theories. We thank Dr. Lewis for the publication of this work, 



