October 29, 1914] 



NATURE 



22 



COLLECTED ADDRESSES ON HORTI- 

 CULTURE. 

 The Horticultural Record. Compiled by Reginald 

 Cory. Pp. XV + 500 -r cxvi coloured plates + 

 half-tone photographs. (London : J. and A. 

 Churchill, 1914.) Price 425. net. 



^'^HIS sumptuous volume very ably fulfils the 

 intention of its author as set forth in his 

 preface. For it forms a very complete record of 

 the sayings and doings of the International Horti- 

 cultural Exhibition, which was held in London two 

 "years ago. In it are contained the addresses, and 

 much of the consequent discussions, which dealt 

 with aspects and phases of horticulture in many 

 and varied directions These contributions 

 possess a permanent value, and Mr. Cory would 

 have deserved well of everyone interested in horti- 

 culture had he done nothing more than bring 

 these results of the exhibition together in a guise 

 far removed from the formal and often rather 

 repellent character commonly encountered in 

 ordinary official publications. But he has done 

 very much more, and the beautiful illustrations, 

 both coloured and plain, not only add enormously 

 to the attractiveness of the volume, but they give 

 it a value which is permanent, and will secure for 

 it a high place in the historical literature of the 

 garden. ^ 



The names of those who were responsible for 

 the main addresses provide a full and sufficient 

 guarantee as to their authoritative character, and 

 the addresses themselves may well be read, and 

 re-read, by those who are interested in the par- 

 ticular departments with which they severally deal. 



The International Exhibition succeeded in 

 achieving much more than the mere display of 

 concrete results of horticulture. It served as the 

 opportunity for raising issues of great and wide- 

 spread interest and importance. The legislative 

 enactments connected with plant diseases, the 

 problems involved in horticultural education, and 

 other subjects, perhaps more directly horticultural 

 were ably and fully discussed, and we have already 

 begun to reap some of the harvest which was 

 sown at Chelsea in 1912. 



Too often, perhaps, the results which accrue 



from congresses of various kinds are altogether 



incommensurate with the amount of energy and 



material expended at the meetings, but this is not 



true of the one now under consideration. It is 



fitting then that the record should be a full one, 



I and that it should be presented to the world in an 



! attractive form. The author and the publisher 



! have discharged their respective offices with skill, 



and we do not hesitate to express the opinion that 



j the book is destined to occupy a high place in the 



j literature of horticulture. 



H XO. 22A^. VOL. Qa1 



OUR BOOKSHELF. 



On the Effects of Volcanic Action in the Production 

 of Epidemic Diseases in the Animal and in the 

 Vegetable Creation, and in the Production of 

 Hurricanes and Abnormal Atmospherical Vicis- 

 situdes. By Dr. H. J. Johnston-Lavis. Pp. 

 xii + 67. (London: John Bale, Sons and 

 Danielsson, Ltd., 1914.J Price 3s. net. 



A FEW years ago the Royal College of Physicians 

 of Edinburgh offered their Parkin prize for an 

 essay with the above title, and they were for- 

 tunate in being able to award it to the late Dr. 

 Johnston-Lavis, than whom no one could be found 

 more competent to deal with the subject. 

 Johnston-Lavis combined with his well-known 

 familiarity with volcanic phenomena the experience 

 gathered during many years of medical practice, 

 in districts constantly subject to volcanic and 

 earthquake paroxysms. 



After giving a general account of the physical 

 and chemical phenomena exhibited during a vol- 

 canic eruption, the author proceeds to detail and 

 examine the exaggerated and often grotesque 

 accounts given by many authorities concerning the 

 terrible diseases that have affected human beings, 

 and also animals and plants, during and subse- 

 quent to volcanic outbursts. Dr. Johnston-Lavis 's 

 general conclusions, after an examination of the 

 whole question, are that while there is no direct 

 relations between volcanic phenomena and disease, 

 there are the following indirect ways in which 

 epidemic disease may be caused or increased 

 during or after volcanic eruptions : — 



(i) The irritating and depressing effects of 

 poisonous fumes on the eyes and throat. 



(2) The disturbance of water-courses, leading 

 to wells and surface supplies being infected from 

 sewage ; and the interference of the ventilation 

 of houses by the accumulation of ejected materials. 



(3) The moral depression from fear, with the 

 hunger resulting from food-supplies being cut off, 

 these causes being now recognised as rendering 

 living beings less immune to infection. 



That great atmospheric disturbances are occa- 

 sioned by volcanic outbursts is admitted by all 

 meteorologists. 



Praktikum der Chemischen, Biologischen und 

 Bakteriologischen Wasseruntersuchung. By 

 Prof. O. Emmerling. Pp. vii + 200. (Ber- 

 lin : Gebriider Borntraeger, 1914.) Price 7.20 

 marks. 

 As indicated in the title, this work consists mainly 

 of a series of descriptions of the methods em- 

 ployed in the examination of waters. As is well 

 known, the chemical methods employed in German 

 practice differ in some respects from those in 

 vogue here, and it is therefore interesting to be 

 able to institute a comparison. Although several 

 methods are frequently described for a particular 

 estimation, little advice is given as to which is 

 the best to employ, and occasionally insufficient 

 attention is paid to the fact that very small 

 amounts have to be estimated. 



A sign of the times is the inclusion of methods 



