362 



NA TURE 



[February 17, 1898 



the wound. In 1858 Simpson stated that he had made 

 use of iron, silver, and platinum wires, and after ten 

 years' research he was led to the introduction of acu- 

 pressure, which essentially consisted in the passing of a 

 fine needle through the tissues across the course of an 

 artery so that by pressure against the muscles the 

 bleeding was stopped. He was much disappointed that 

 acupressure had failed to gain a place such as he would 

 have wished ; but the introduction of the antiseptic 

 method by Lister threw his process into the shade. 



During the last year or two of his existence he found 

 it hard to carry on his work, and he had to take more 

 rest, but he still kept on his practice although suffering 

 from angina pectoris. However, in February 1870 he 

 was obliged to take to his bed, yet even then he saw 

 patients in his sick room ; later his failing strength 

 prevented this, and he passed away on May 5, 1870. 



Mr. Gordon has dealt with the facts at his disposal in 

 an interesting manner ; but as the book is one of a series 

 connected with medicine, and as Simpson's chief claim 

 to remembrance is associated with the introduction of 

 chloroform, we are somewhat surprised to find that only 

 about forty-four pages have been devoted to this portion 

 of the subject. 



We think, also, that more might have been made of 

 Sir James Simpson's contributions to obstetrics, though 

 no doubt the popular character of the series is responsible 

 for the omission. R. T^ B. 



PROTOPLASMIC FROTH. 

 The Living Substance as such, and as Organism. By 

 Gwendolen Foulke Andrews. Pp. 176. (Boston : 

 Ginn and Co., 1897.) 



THE authoress of this wordy treatise informs us 

 (p. 173) that she started from a neutral position 

 with regard to Biitschli's vesicular theory, or even with a 

 bias against it. Now, however, having become the most 

 ardent of converts, she proceeds, with the proverbial zeal 

 of a proselyte, to carry the original doctrine to extremes. 

 Not content with proclaiming the existence of foams 

 undreamt of by Biitschli — "wheels within wheels" ad 

 infinitum — she utters what amounts to a denunciation of 

 all previous statements of biological fact and theory as 

 misleading and inadequate, and urges in effect that the 

 whole science of life needs recasting from the new point 

 of view. So far, she is doubtless within her rights. 

 There is nothing in the expression of even the most 

 singular views which can legitimately form the subject of 

 complaint. Time tries all things ; and of the numerous 

 hypotheses that are every year thrown out to take their 

 chance in the world of scientific opinion, some will stand 

 the test and will become the recognised truths of a later 

 generation, while others are simply destined to die a 

 natural death. But there is no excuse for presenting any 

 theory in such a form as that of the present volume. 

 The obscurity of the style, the inordinate length of the 

 argument, the wearisome repetitions, the general want of 

 method and arrangement, form an unfair tax on the 

 patience of the reader, who may be excused if he fails 

 to find the one half-pennyworth of bread to this in- 



NO. 1477, VOL. 57] 



tolerable deal of sack. The authoress should have givei> 

 us, in an orderly manner, first the facts she has observed, 

 and secondly such interpretations of them as she thought 

 warranted. Instead of this she has produced a confused 

 and intricate commentary on phenomena that for the 

 most part are either not recorded at all, or are referred ■ 

 to in such a vague and general manner as to make it 

 extremely difficult to judge of their import. It is true 

 that she appeals from time to time to her " researches " 

 and "results," without, however, proving much more 

 than her ignorance of the meaning of those words* 

 Here and there we find an observation of interest, as on 

 pages 58 (chromatin in the cytoplasm), 70 (explanation 

 of apparent Brownian movements), 116 (protoplasmic 

 interchange in colonies of Raphidiophrys). But these 

 are scattered and scanty, nor are they recorded with 

 scientific precision. Moreover, the want of arrangement 

 is such that the reader who wishes to refer a second 

 time to any observation will be at a loss to find it. Here 

 and there, also, some semblance of a definite conclusion 

 seems about to emerge from the general chaos. But the 

 expected result, when not of a trite and obvious character^ 

 usually proves elusive ; and the reader who had hoped to 

 grasp a new piece of knowledge finds himself put off with 

 a handful of empty verbiage — 



Ter frustra comprensa manus effugit imago. 



If any object is discoverable, it is to show that from 

 nature's point of view the living substance is everything 

 and the individual organism nothing. The authoress 

 does not seem to be aware that so far as this is true, it 

 has occurred to previous thinkers. It is refreshing to 

 come across a few words of common sense like the 

 passage she quotes from Darwin on page 173. But we 

 can assure her that the theory of natural selection not 

 yet bemg dead, its " re-birth " under her auspices is at 

 present a superfluity. On page 52 she defends her 

 practice of saying the same thing over and over again on 

 the ground that nature herself indulges in repetition. 

 This is true ; but nature does many other things that 

 need not be imitated in a scientific memoir. The 

 authoress would do well to supplement her studies from 

 nature by taking a hint from art, especially in the way 

 of compression. " Very few and very weary," said 

 Macaulay of a book which had more excuse for prolixity, 

 " are those who are in at the death of the ' Blatant 

 Beast.'" The authoress would seem (p. 175) to be 

 conscious that her own work may be open to the like 

 criticism ; it is a pity that she has not thought it worth 

 while to aim at a different result. 



The temptation to pass over the whole book in silence 

 is a strong one. We have not yielded to the temptation, 

 because we think that the authoress is capable of better 

 things. She is apparently possessed of means, leisure, 

 perseverance and enthusiasm — no bad equipment for a 

 scientific career. Let her continue to observe patiently, 

 but let her record with precision. Let her avoid cheap 

 disparagement of the microtome and paraffin bath ; they 

 are bad masters, but may be good servants. Let her not 

 think that she can overcome the inadequacy of figures 

 and diagrams by abjuring their employment altogether. 

 Let her condescend to the use of the English language 



