362 



NA TURE 



[August 18, 1887 



and of the physical properties of plant-tissues, the re- 

 mainder of th^ book is assigned to physiology properly 

 so called, and it is divided into four parts dealing respec- 

 tively with nutrition, growth, irritability, and reproduc- 

 tion. It is impossible, within the limits of a short 

 review, to give an adequate idea of this comprehensive 

 work ; but it may be stated at once that it is as a whole 

 decidedly preferable to the physiological part of the old 

 text-book, which it has replaced. Its superiority is based 

 not solely on its more modern view and larger sphere of 

 observation, but also on its more clear construction. 

 The information it contains is more easily accessible to 

 the student, and to this end the addition by Prof. Marshall 

 Ward of a thorough working index will materially conduce. 



It remains to mention certain points in the book which 

 for various reasons will be of special interest to English 

 readers. Sachs's views on the transfer of water in plants 

 are well known from his other writings. Here he puts 

 forward in a concise form his opinion that the transfer is 

 effected through the substance of the lignified walls. 

 Much has been written since the first publication of these 

 lectures to shake confidence in Sachs's view, and a defence 

 of his position against recent attacks would now be of 

 greater interest than the plain statement of his own case 

 which is here given. In the succeeding chapters, on the 

 regulation of the stream of transpiration, and the con- 

 sequent supply of salts in solution, and on the general 

 nutrition of plants, there is little to demand detailed 

 notice. The writing is clear, and works up the results of 

 recent investigation in a very readable form. 



In the next part, which treats of growth, there is much 

 fresh material to interest English readers, the most notable 

 being that in Lecture XXVII. Here Sachs gives a really 

 masterly epitome of his researches on the arrangement 

 of cells in embryonic tissues, reducing to a system what 

 was before 1878 a chaos of isolated observations, and 

 leading up to the important conclusion that " the mode of 

 cell-division depends only upon the increase in volume, 

 and the configuration of the growing organ,'' and further, 

 that apical cells, where they occur, are merely to be re- 

 garded as gaps in the system of construction. After a 

 series of seven lecturer on irritability, the volume closes 

 with a discussion of reproduction, both from the com- 

 parative and physiological points of view. 



Regarded as a whole the book is certainly a remarkable 

 one. Prof. Sachs is a man who does not undervalue his 

 own work, and who has no fear of stating his own 

 convictions ; and this volume may fairly be taken as 

 expressing his opinion on vegetable physiology in 1882. 

 In this respect it will always be a valuable work, and 

 will maintain an historic interest long after the actual 

 views expressed in it are either superseded, or have passed 

 out of the range of controversy. F. O. B. 



A DICTIONARY OF PHILOSOPHY. 

 A Dictionary of Philosophy in the Words of Philo- 

 sophers. Edited, with an Introduction, by J. Radford 

 Thomson, M.A., Professor of Philosophy in New Col- 

 lege, London. (London; R. D. Dickinson, 1887.) 

 '"F*0 those who like to pick up information in a scrappy 

 -*- way, this volume will no doubt prove useful. 

 Chancing, for example, on the word realism, and feeling 



somewhat hazy as to its exact meaning, the inquirir 

 reader turns to his " Dictionary of Pnilosophy," ar 

 under the head " Realism or Dualism " finds a stateme: 

 from Fleming of the theory " as generally held," ar 

 short paragraphs descriptive of (i) Sir W. Hamilton 

 natural realism, (2) Herbert Spencer's transfigured realisr 

 (3) the reasoned realism of George H. Lewes, and ( 

 intuitive realism, McCosh. Still unsatisfied, he turns 

 the " Theories of the Concept," and learns of the do 

 trine of realism from Monck, Whately, and Mill ; of i 

 varieties (extreme realism and moderate realism) fro 

 Ueberweg ; of its origin from Ferrier, Maurice, ar 

 Ueberweg ; of its truth and error from Noah Porter ar 

 Whately ; and he is perhaps rather shocked, in conclusio 

 to learn from Mill that it is " an abandoned doctrine." 



An introduction (of 35 pages) has been written by tl 

 editor, " for the sake of beginners in philosophical studie 

 with the view of afitbrding to such readers a general si: 

 vey of the field of thought before them." We think tl 

 editor might have added, " and as an incentive to tu 

 for explanations to the body of the work." We dou 

 whether the beginner would gain much from a " Sketi 

 of the History of Philosophy" so short as that given 

 the fourth part of the introduction. We quote, by w; 

 of example, the description of post-Kantian Germ; 

 philosophy, with one sentence of which we are in coi 

 plete accord : — 



"The course of philosophy in G^rminy since the tin 

 of Kant has been very remarkable, but is very diffici 

 thoroughly to trace. The following are, howe/er, tl 

 chief developments : — (i) German ideahsm advanced wi 

 very rapid strides It is common to say that Fichte 

 subjective idealism was followed by the objective idealis 

 of Schelling, and that by the absolute idealism of Hegi 

 But such a description can convey no meaning to tl 

 ordinary reader. (2) In reaction from this tendency w 

 the modern German materialism, expounded by Mol 

 schott, Vogt, and Biichner — a modification of the ancie 

 atomism, according to conceptions of modern scienc 



(3) A development of one side of Kant's philosophy w 

 the pessimism of Schopenhauer and Von Hartman 

 According to the former of these, the absolute existem 

 which Kant held to be unknown is will, whilst the latt 

 lays the greatest stress on the unconscious. The 

 thinkers are, however, better known for their theory 

 human life, of which both take a gloomy and despondei 

 view. (4) Herbart by no means accompanied the pr 

 gress of post-Kantian idealists ; he is characterized 1 

 Schwegler as ' extending the monadology of Leibnit; 



(5) Ulrici and Lotzemaybe taken as examples of Germ? 

 philosophers who hold by the spiritual interpretation 

 human nature." 



The arrangement of the body of the work is as fc 

 lows :— Two preliminary sections are devoted respective 

 to (i) "Designations, Definitions, and Divisions," ai 

 (2) " The Mind." In the latter are subdivisions < 

 (i)mind, (2) the intellect, (3) faculties of the intellei 



(4) personality and the ego, (5) the nature of man, ai 



(6) consciousness. Then follow four main division 

 (A) the psychology and philosophy of cognition, inclu 

 ing three sections on ancient, medieeval, and mode 

 schools ; (B) the psychology and philosophy of feelir' 

 with paragraphs on aesthetics ; (C) the psychology a I 

 philosophy of the will, with a section on free-will Ej 

 determinism; and (D) moral philosophy of ethics, jrj 

 a concluding section on the immortality of man. 



