198 



NA TURE 



[August i i, 1923 



react rapidly. We do not know the meaning of this — 

 whether it is merely an unessential reaction which is 

 associated with other characteristics of the individual, 

 whether the brown pigment is an optical sensitiser, 

 or again whether it is a screen to cut out injurious rays. 



A further question requiring more investigation is 

 the increase in oxidative metabolism. There may be 

 reflex effects to muscle, or a direct result of warming 

 of the blood (Sonne), or it may be simply a reaction 

 to the cold air. It appears that the muscles of tuber- 

 culous patients may grow in size and firmness, although 

 they may be but little used. 



The general effect of the treatment is not to be 

 overlooked, especially in the case of children brought 

 into bright and interesting surroundings. 



Although it is in the direct cure of disease that 

 the most striking effects of sunlight are seen, it is 

 impossible to believe that the physiological processes 

 at the basis of these effects play no part in the pre- 

 vention of disease. Dr. Rollier has an interesting 

 chapter on his " ficole au Soleil," established for 

 children predisposed to tubercular disease. Exposure 

 to sunlight must, moreover, be of the greatest im- 

 portance in maintaining normal health — a fact far too 

 little taken to heart. 



There are many points of practical importance 

 brought to our notice by this book. I may conclude 

 with mentioning two of these. Dr. Rollier shows that 

 pulmonary cases do quite well, contrary to the view 

 often expressed. Care must be taken to avoid over- 

 heating and exposure to the sun must be very gradual, 

 with adequate ventilation. The other point is the 

 necessity for keeping the atmosphere over our large 

 towns and manufacturing areas free from the pollution 

 of smoke. W. M. Bayliss. 



Primitive Culture Analysed. 



Early Civilisation : an Introduction to Anthropology. 

 By Alexander A. Goldenweiser. Pp. xiv + 428. 

 (London, Calcutta, and Sydney : G. G. Harrap and 

 Co., Ltd., n.d.) 15^. net. 



DR. GOLDENWEISER has long been known for 

 his acute criticism, in various journals, of the 

 theories and constructive efforts of the most noted 

 ethnologists ; we therefore welcome in this introduc- 

 tion to anthropology an exposition of his matured 

 views, though his book will but partly supply the need 

 there is for a systematic treatise on ethnology. 



. The book consists of three parts : the first deals with 

 a general sketch of the Eskimo, Tlingit and Haida, 

 Iroquois, Baganda, and Central Australians, as illus- 

 trative of distinct civilisations, though in each case one 

 of their respective cultures has been given more careful 



NO. 2806, VOL. I 12] 



treatment than the others. Goldenweiser correct 1 

 states that " the only way to know early civilisation 1 . 

 to study it in the wholeness of its local manifestation." 

 The various activities and beliefs of a people are so 

 intimately interwoven that quite wrong inferences may 

 be drawn if a custom is separated from its context and 

 compared with an analogous custom isolated from 

 another group. These five accounts afford material 

 for future discussion ; as the author states, other 

 groups would have served as well, but these suffi' 

 for practical purposes without rendering the book 

 unwieldy. 



The second part deals with industry, art, religion 

 and magic, and society, which are considered parti • 

 from the point of view of special cases and parti 

 constitute a limited comparative survey. There is a 

 great deal of valuable matter in this section, but there 

 are also many aspects of culture that are not alluded 

 to, possibly from lack of space. For example, the 

 researches of A. R. Brown on various Australian tribes 

 throw new light on Australian sociology, and what is 

 often termed " soul substance " is not mentioned. In 

 discussing diffusion versus independent development in 

 early civilisation some valuable reflections are made. 

 Graebner's views are slightly criticised, Elliot Smith is 

 dismissed with scorn, but Rivers is dealt with at greater 

 length, though some of his arguments are described ;> 

 " highly artificial." The author concludes by saying 

 " we must reiterate our former position that the 

 diffusion of civilisation from tribe to tribe is but one 

 of the basic factors in cultural advance, the other 

 factors being human creativeness, resulting in the in- 

 dependent origination of new things and ideas," though 

 elsewhere he says, " the civilisational role of borrowing 

 is fundamental." 



In the third part Dr. Goldenweiser discusses various 

 theories of early mentality' : those of Herbert Spencer, 

 that the ghost is the corner-stone of early theology, 

 that spirits are derived from ghosts, the nickname 

 theory of animal and other cults ; the views of Frazer 

 on magic and its relation to science and religion, the 

 origin of exogamy. He says that " Wundt approached 

 the problem of primitive mentality with a far broader 

 and deeper equipment in scientific method than did 

 Spencer, Tylor, or Frazer. As a student of psycholog} 

 he was proof against the allurements of a facile mode 

 of interpretation of primitive thought, of which these 

 authors are so often guilty. He discarded the crude 

 rationalism of Spencer and Tylor. . . . The associa- 

 tionism of Frazer also collapsed before Wundt's critical 

 onslaught," but even Wundt often failed " to escape 

 the allurements of monogenetic derivations." Durk- 

 heim also receives very favourable consideration, 

 though his " tremendous exaggeration of the import- 



