40 



NATURE 



[November 9, 191 1 



liiirs .iImii^ which p-sc.inli is i.Kxr.din:; nmsi .k liv.-l\ 

 at iho present time, special stress being laid upon 

 those aspects of the subject which are not as yet fully 

 treated in the smaller text-books. 



The first four chapters deal wiih a jreneral surrey 

 of the earth's surface, its mountains and ocean depths, 

 the formation of its hills and valleys due to atmo- 

 spheric agents, running water and ice, and the effects 

 of climate on the distribution of other phenomena on 

 the surface of the pflobe. In the successive chapters the 

 author describes the three chief zones of vegetation, the 

 Mediterranean scrub land, the temperate forest zone, 

 and the steppe or pasture land, and that as each of 

 these is determined by climate, each again has special 

 types of cultivated plants and domesticated animals. 



•'It is interesting to note," adds the author, " whrit 

 cannot be a pure coincidence [and yet may ii not l)e 

 so?], that in Europe three races of men exist, which 

 show a certain rough correspondence to the three 

 zones of vegetation. The Mediterranean type of 

 vegetation and climate is associated " with the Medi- 

 terranean race. . . . "The characteristic inhabitants 

 of the temperate forest region of Europe are members 

 of the race called Teutonic or Nordic . . . the steppe 

 and pasture lands . . . tend to be occupied by a third 

 race ... to which the . . . name of Alpine has been 

 given." 



The penultimate chapter is devoted to the races of 

 Europe and their origin, and the last to the distribution 

 of minerals and the localisation of industries and of 

 towns. " Modern Geography " is a suggestive book. 



Although the space at our disposal precludes a 

 detailed notice of these volumes, we can w'armly and 

 conscientiously recommend them to those interested 

 in the subjects with which they deal. All three are 

 provided with full indexes, and "The Evolution of 

 Plants " has besides an excellent bibliography of the 

 most important works on palaeobotany. 



OVR BOOK SHELF. 

 Medical Science of To-day : a Popular Account of the 



More Recent Developments in Medicine and 



Surgery. By Dr. Willmott Evans. Pp. 324. 



(London : Seeley, Service, and Co., Ltd., 1912.) 



Price 55. net. 

 This is a very delightful book. None of the natural 

 sciences has greater wonders to tell than medical 

 science ; none touches more nearly our admiration of 

 good work slowly brought to success. Dr. Willmott 

 Evans is an excellent interpreter ; he understands the 

 art of freeing the wonder of the discovery itself from 

 the wrappings of long words put round it by the 

 doctors; he makes the reader feel the intense human 

 significance of the many facts on which the present 

 fabric of medicine and surgery is founded and built; 

 and his book ought to be very widely read and re- 

 membered. 



Of course, with such an " imperial theme," it was 

 not possible for him to say all that ought to be said. 

 The embarrassment of riches left him only a para- 

 graph or two for methods each deserving a chapter. 

 But he ought to have found room to say more about 

 the tremendous influence of the experimental method 

 in medical science. For instance, his mention of 

 brain-surgery does not do justice to the experimental 

 study of cerebral localisation ; and the same fault 

 occurs in his chapter on organo-therapy. And. of 

 course, there are omissions of less importance; thus 

 NO. 2193, VOL. 88] 



h.- -pr,i)<^ <,i x.llo'A f. VI r vvitiioui naming W. 

 Rird, ,111,1 li.- (li-,( I il,.-, iii\\ci(l(ina without v': 

 plii.n.^;raphs .,1 (.lo, 1„ !■ 'i.r tluT' 



meat. He niiglil with ai: ,. iiave l.-li 



chapters or subchapters on patent medicines, idi< 

 crasies. and malingering; the chapters on legal v. 

 cine ;il-o 'A;int thinning. 



Tlv i)ii<- ^r.ivr difect in the book is the >• 

 sh.-idowing of nvtlnxis ])V results; he shows us th' 

 thiuL; in.ide, not tin- tiling in the making. Still, h* 

 has written a book which is excellent reading; h- 

 plainly has enjoyed writing it, and it gives a faithfu^ 

 and vahiahj.- ae'rount of the modern science and ar 

 of medicine , suii^'in, and preventive medicine. 



CliDKiih Cniitrnl. By L. C. W. Bonacina. Pp. 



iby. (London: A. and C. Black, 191 1.) Price 

 Works on climatology and articles in meteorol< 

 text-books treating of that subject abound in va: 

 forms, l)ui that there is still, room for others de 

 willi diiferent aspects of this -important questi( 

 shown by the interesting and useful little volume 

 under review. It is published as one of the seri' 

 "Black's School GeogiMjihy," and, being int. 

 primarily for British students, prominence is ;,. 

 to the climate of this country, but that of other '" 

 known lands," selected as representative of the var 

 zones and regions, is considered at some length. 1 



In an instructive chapter on the general principle! 

 of climatoloifv, the factors which produce varin' 

 in dilT<i( nt p.iris of the world— c.^. latitude, alti- 

 pr'vailing winds, &c. — are separately discussed, 

 this is followed by chapters (1) on the types of 

 and the effect of the prime elements of light, heat 

 moisture, the distribution of vegetation being t 

 as a rough criterion of the climatic variations; and (;. 

 the influence of climate upon man. The whole cl 

 these various aspects are treated in a manner 

 cannot fail to attract the attention of students, 

 to induce them to pursue the subject further. in 

 last chapter (it-als with meteorologv and is in| 

 tended for niorr advanced students. This chnr' •■• 

 like tliose jireceding it, exhibits an inti- 

 knowledo-e of the subject, and we regret th. 

 was found necessarv, for lack of space, to omit i 

 tions relatini^ to atmospheric electricity — e.g. thu:...,., 

 stornis, ,Vc. and to optical phenomena. 



Tile t ffect of the rotation of the earth on the cii 

 culation of the air and on the behaviour of cyclone 

 and anticvclones and many other questions sometime 

 presenting difficultv to students are clearlv explr. ' 

 A few well-chosen synoptic charts, recently publi- 

 bv the Meteorological Office, are added to explai 

 some of the principal types of weather. 



An Introduction to Chemical Theory. By Dr. A 

 Scott, F.R.S. Second edition. Pp. viii-l-272 

 (London : A. and C. Black, 191 1.) Price 5s. net. 



The first edition of this book was published twent 

 vears ago, just as the "new" physical chemistry wa 

 flowing into this country and gaining admission t 

 lecture courses and text-books. It was in a way th 

 last of its race, and it still retains in the new editia 

 a marked mid-^'ictorian flavour. This is not said i: 

 disparagement; indeed, the restraint shown bv th 

 author on the more speculative side of theoretica 

 chemistry is a reminder of what in some respects wer 

 better davs. 



The distinction between chemical philosophy 

 general chemistry, and physical chemistry has becomi 

 verv vacfue, hut Dr. .Scott's book mav be describe; 

 as dealintr rather with chemical philosophy thaik 

 phvsical cheniistrv, and in that character it has soml 

 distinctive features which mav give it a place in thj 



