342 



NATURE 



[December 21, 191 1 



chemistry rnnaincd in a dormant condition until van 

 't Hoff and Lc Bel, twenty-one years ago, laid down 

 the famous law named after them, and put forward 

 their views on the nature of solutions. Exact and 

 even mathematical researches in this region were 

 thus rendered possible, and physical chemistry since 

 then has grown at a prodigious rate, and has in- 

 creased the boimdaries of knowledge, not only so far 

 as chemistry and physics are concerned, but also in 

 the biological fit-id as well. 



Unfortunately the growth of a new science means 

 the introduction of a new language, and those who 

 write in it are not always able to realise that it is un- 

 intelligible even to those who have received a scien- 

 tific training a few years previously. Such a book as 

 Prof. Czapek's is therefore a godsend, for it explains 

 in the rlearost manner the new language as well as 

 the new facts. Although the author is a professor of 

 plant physiology, he treats his subject in a wide 

 manner, so as to be helpful to animal physiologists 

 as well. The properties of colloids, the use of the 

 ultra-microscope, the significance of the protoplasmic 

 membrane, the velocity of reactions, catalysis and 

 the enzymes, and the general laws of immunity are 

 among the subjects treated in somewhat less than 

 150 small pages. Each page is rich with information 

 and full of thoughtful and pregnant suggestions. 



Prof. Czapek concludes that, so far as chemical and 

 physical phenomena are concerned, our knowledge is 

 now sufficiently advanced for us to be quite sure 

 that it is unnecessary to call in the assistance of any 

 mysterious "vital force" in order to explain the 

 activities of protoplasm. The filling in of the still 

 numerous gaps are mostly the working out of points 

 of detail, and that is only a matter of time. 



" There is only one part of physiology which is not 

 yet accessible to our methods, and which we cannot 

 prove to be ruled by the well-known laws of inanimate 

 nature. These are the psychological phenomena." 



When we remember that less than a century ago 

 organic chemistry was regarded as equally inaccessible 

 to experimental methods, there is some hope that in 

 the future even ps^'chological phenomena may yield 

 their secrets to the investigator. W. D. H. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 

 Where Do We Come From? Is Darwin Correct? 



A Philosophical and Critical Study of Darwin's 



Theory of ''Natural Selection." Bv Herbert Morse. 



Pp. iv + 344. (London: Kegan Paul and Co., Ltd., 



191 1.) Price 7^. 6d. net. 

 Having read many of the eulogistic articles on Dar- 

 win's work which appeared at the time of his 

 centenary, Mr. Morse was prompted to look into the 

 matter for himself. He does not claim for his work 

 anv higher authority than that to be granted to the 

 opinion of the man in the street. "Anyone who can 

 read and write, who has the ordinary powers of 

 reasoning, and is possessed of some knowledge of the 

 nature and value of evidence, is as capable of passing 

 as sound an opinion on the value of the theory, that, 

 that evidence endeavours to corroborate as any 

 scientist of them all." 



Let us give a few quotations to illustrate the com- 

 petence and temper of this new philosophical critic. 



NO. 2199, VOL. 88] 



" Man it a self-improving organirai, no other organist- 

 is. Every other organism is the mere sport of n;* 

 at the mercy of environment, a mere physical pu; 

 The struggle for existence "was the great pro; 

 and agent of variation." This, which is stated ■■•■ 

 of Darwin's fundamental profjositions, revejiis 

 abyss of misunderstanding. We are treated, as usu<'i: 

 to the old chestnut : " If these new creations were ;i 

 similar at the outset, it seems inconceivable that ai. 

 period of time, however prodigious, or any set < 

 circumstances, however extravagant, could by an 

 process of slow accretion have converted, say, a f?< 

 mto a flamingo," 



The author is therefore led to suppose that thf : 

 were many independently originating primitive < 

 isms. He appears to believe that a theory of ; 

 phyletic evolution is quite anti-Darwinian, and i; 

 brings back old times by dividing the animal kingdoi 

 into four classes. There have been many stern 

 critics of Darwinism who have done service to 

 evolution-theory, advancing it a little beyond the 

 stage at which Darwin left it, but these have 

 been men careful to understand what Darwin 

 meant, careful not to credit him with conclusions ho 

 did not hold, careful to acquaint themselves with tli. 

 facts of the case. We cannot rank Mr. Morse amoi 

 these. 



The World's Minerals. By Leonard J. Spencer. P. 

 xi + 212 + 40 coloured plates. (London and Edi: 

 burgh: W. and R. Chambers, Ltd., 191 1.) Pric 



At first sight one gains the impression that this 

 merely a remarkably cheap picture-book, published : 

 time to be handy as a Christmas gift. The for: 

 coloured plates exhibit an Oriental splendour and 

 daring which does not hesitate to represent the pi. 

 of colours of labradorite and precious opal, or ev» i; 

 the metallic lustre of native gold and silver, Thos.- 

 dazzling pictures, prepared under Dr. Hans Lenk 

 of Erlangen, are themselves worth the price of t' 

 book, which, however, is far more than a mere albu; 

 of German chromo-lithographs. For the editor 

 The Mineralof^ical Magazine has written descripti\ 

 text around the pictures, and has preceded this I 

 an excellent introduction to the study of mineral 

 which makes the book something more than a pret 

 volume for collectors of pretty stones. Thus in on; 

 twenty-two pages the author manages to give a cl«;; 

 and wonderfully comprehensive survey of the difficu; 

 subject of crj'stallography, not even omitting to deal 

 with Miller's notation. 



On p. 16 the choice of 2 for the axial ratio of 

 dimetric crystal is unfortunate, suggesting as it do' 

 a simplicity comparable to that of indices, dealt with 

 in the same paragraph. A figure like the 1771 of 

 anatase would have avoided any such implication. 

 On p. 20 the drawings of rhombohedra are apparenth 

 printed upside down, and the hexagonal prism is not 

 satisfactory. These are, however, minor points, and 

 the fact that one can find no worse faults in wh"* 

 amounts to a text-book of systematic mineralo^ 

 comprised in the first forty pages, on the form>. 

 physical characters, chemical composition, and classi- 

 fication of minerals, speaks well for the value and 

 accuracy of the work. R. F. G. 



The Rubber-Planter's Notebook. By Frank Braham. 



Pp. viii+108. (London: Crosby Lockwood and 



Son. iqri.) Price 2s. 6d. net. 

 This book is what it purports to be, a handy book of 

 reference on Para rubber planting, with hints on the 

 maintenance of health in the tropics and other general 

 information of utility to the rubber planter. It is weU 

 written, and the condensed information contained in 



