November 30, 191 1] 



NATURE 



"i-ZI 



he genus Pleurosorus, which is found as three 



:arcely differing forms in Southern Spain (P. Pozoi), 



)uth Chile (5. papaverifolius), and Australia (P. rutae- 



lius). These small xerophytic rock ferns may well 



> • cited as examples of the simultaneous appearance 



of a species in widely separated localities. 



There is but one fault to find with this otherwise 

 excellent book, and that is that the illustrations, most 

 of which are very good, have been inserted without any 

 particular reference to the text, and some difficulty is 

 experienced in attempting to find the figures which 

 are intended to illustrate particular descriptions. 



A. W. H. 



OPHTHALMIC THERAPEUTICS. 

 An International System of Ophthalmic Practice. 

 Edited by Dr. Walter L. Pyle. Therapeutics. By 

 Dr. A. Darier. Translated by S. Stephenson. Pp. 

 xiv + 444. (London : Rebman, Ltd., 191 1.) Price 

 lys. 6d. net. 



T^HIS is the first volume of an " International 

 J- System of Ophthalmic Practice," edited by Dr. 

 Walter L. Pyle, of Philadelphia. Other volumes 

 announced are on " Medical Ophthalmology," by Dr. 

 Arnold Knapp, of New York; "Ophthalmic 

 Diagnosis," by Dr. Charles H. Beard, of Chicago; 

 "Pathologv and Bacteriology of the Eye," by Messrs. 

 Treacher Collins and M. S. Mayou, of London; 

 "Affections of the Orbit and Accessory Cavities," by 

 Dr. Christian R. Holmes, of Cincinnati; "Examina- 

 tion and Refraction of the Eye and Eye-strain," by 

 the editor; and "Ophthalmic Surgery," the author- 

 ship of which is not stated. It will be seen that the 

 scheme is comprehensive, and that the aim is essen- 

 tially practical. The authors are men of established 

 reputation, and may be relied upon to carry out their 

 work ably, so that the system will form a valuable, if 

 not indispensable, addition to the ophthalmologist's 

 library. If the volumes reach the standard of the 

 sample which we have before us we may confidently 

 prophesy the financial success of the series. 

 Those who have read Dr. Darier 's lectures and 

 oers on ophthalmic therapeutics in their original 

 m in French must have approached the present 

 ■ 'n-k with some misgivings. Dr. Darier is an enthu- 

 ^ 1st for novae res. He possesses in marked degree 

 mental agility of the Latin race, quick to appre- 

 !e new facts, eager to traverse new paths. True, 

 li • sometimes appears to the onlookers to skip rather 

 ' an to run, but then he is an artist, and a savour 

 art is not without its uses in dealing with the 

 •Mience of medicine, a science which, though yet in 

 its infancy, is called upon to perform the feats of 

 mature development. Dr. Darier 's enthusiasm often 

 outruns discretion, but in this book it has been curbed 

 the " free editorial control " which has been exer- 

 d upon the manuscript. In the end we have a 

 - und work on the treatment of diseases of the eye, 

 \\1iich by virtue of the large space devoted to the 

 discussion of new methods and new drugs, forms a 

 useful adjunct to the formal text-book. 



The subject is divided into two parts, general and 

 special therapeutics. The first commences with a 

 NO. 2196, VOL. 88] 



chapter on methods of diagnosis, devoted .to such 

 topics as serum diagnosis and the demonstration of 

 spirochastes. Constitutional treatment is then dealt 

 with, stress being laid upon the technique of hypo- 

 dermic and intravenous medication and subconjunctival 

 injections. The chapter on serum- and organo- 

 therapy will prove particularly useful to the ophthal- 

 mologist, who has perforce to obtain his knowledge 

 of these matters second-hand. It might have been 

 expanded with advantage, and a freer citation of 

 original papers would have enhanced its value. The 

 ophthalmologist cannot afford to ignore serum- 

 therapy, which now has so large a place in medical 

 treatment, but it is a two-edged weapon, and should 

 be used with the utmost caution. Much space is 

 devoted to photo-electro-, hydro-, mechano-thetapy, 

 X-rays, and radium; as a rule original papers are 

 quoted, and the reader is left to draw his own con- 

 clusions. Of more value are the chapters on drugs — 

 anaesthetics, analgesics, vaso-dilators, vaso-con- 

 strictors, mydriatics and cycloplegics, miotics and 

 silver compounds; their virtues and vices and the 

 modes of their application are quite well described. 



In the section on special therapeutics, the diseases 

 of the eye are dealt with seriatim in the manner of 

 an ordinary text-book. Too little stress is laid upon 

 old and well-tried methods, so that the reader is liable 

 to obtain a wrong perspective. The book, however, 

 is clearly intended for specialists who are capable of 

 forming an independent opinion in these matters. 

 It would be easy to criticise many of the 

 statements, but those most open to attack are 

 such as only time and extended experience can 

 ultimately settle. They are topics of constant dispute 

 in ophthalmic journals, where they can most suitably 

 be ventilated. In discussing cataract, glaucoma, and 

 so on reference has to be made to operative measures. 

 It would have been better to have relegated these 

 matters entirely to the volume on ophthalmic surgery, 

 where they will doubtless be treated exhaustively. 

 The cursory remarks are of little value ; on the other 

 hand, they do not occupy much space. 



We can cordially recommend the book to the con- 

 sideration of advanced students of ophthalmology, and 

 they will be well advised to look out for the other 

 v'olumes of the series. 



PHARMACOGNOSY IN THE UNITED STATES. 

 A Text-book of Botany and Pharmacognosy, intended 

 for the Use of Students of Pharmacy , as a Refer- 

 ence Book for Pharmacists, and as a Handbook for 

 Food and Drug Analysts. By Prof. H. Kraemer. 

 Fourth revised and enlarged edition. Pp. viii + 888. 

 (Philadelphia and London : J. B. Lippincott Co., 

 n.d.)^ Price 15s. net. 



A LTHOUGH in English text-books botany is not 

 ■^ *• usually combined with pharmacognosy, it is un- 

 deniable that such a combination possesses for the 

 student of the latter science the distinct advantage 

 that much overlapping may be avoided, and that, by 

 selecting medicinal plants to illustrate the botanical 

 portion, the student, while studying botany, insensibly 

 acquires a considerable amount of information cnn- 



