January 17, 190 i] 



NATURE 



271 



case the " neuron " terminology, as introduced by Wal- 

 deyer, has taken deep root in neurology. 



Langley's article on the sympathetic and allied 

 nervous systems is a masterly summary of a subject 

 which, by his researches, he has made peculiarly his 

 own, and groups up in an easily accessible form the 

 many scattered observations on this subject. 



The important topic of the " Cerebral Cortex " is fully 

 dealt with by the editor. In mentioning the old experi- 

 ment of Kircher, known as the " experimentum mirabile," 

 it is set down to "Kirscher" (p. 712). Several of the 

 illustrations are acknowledged from the well-known work 

 of Fran5ois-Franck and Pitres. The author deprecates 

 the use of the term " sensori-motor," as applied to denote 

 the so-called " motor " or excitable centres in the Rolandic 

 area, although he does not object to the term " psycho- 

 motor " applied to them. A difficult subject is dealt with 

 in a terse but comprehensive manner. 



Sherrington's article on the spinal cord displays a 

 mastery of his subject which at once elicits one's admira- 

 tion. Necessarily, in dealing with the mass of detail 

 many new terms have to be coined for the numerous 

 phenomena which have been discovered in recent years. 

 There is a due admixture of the historical with the results 

 of recent research. What the Germans call Bell's law 

 appears here as " Bell-Magendie law." The word 

 " Bahnung," introduced by Exner into nerve physiology, 

 is, we think, better rendered by " facilitation,'' adopted by 

 Sherrington, than any of the other proposed equivalents 

 we have seen. 



It is evident that a large amount of industrious applica- 

 tion has been expended by Sherrington on his articles on 

 "Cutaneous Sensations" and on "Muscular Sense." In 

 the former we find the recent work of Goldscheider, 

 v. Frey and Kiesow treated with ample detail; but perhaps 

 the article on the " muscular sense," grouping up as it 

 does the numerous stray observations, will attract much 

 attention. The value of Sherrington's own work on the 

 '■ Muscle-spindles," which he showed degenerated after 

 section of the posterior nerve roots outside the spinal 

 ganglion, laid the basis of a more definite physiology 

 regarding the important part played by certain afferent 

 impulses from striped muscle in regulating the activities 

 of the parts from which they proceed. Indeed, the chap- 

 ter on " the peripheral apparatus of the muscular sense," 

 though short, is an excellent resume of the present know- 

 ledge of this important subject, and to which clinicians 

 will find it profitable to devote their attention. 



The essay on " Vision " is somewhat unequal, but how 

 can it be otherwise on a subject so vast and which is 

 treated with such wealth of detail in Hermann's " Hand- 

 buch der Physiologie." 



Although necessarily there is much comparative physi- 

 ology scattered throughout its pages, we could have 

 wished to see the main facts of the comparative physi- 

 ology of at least some of the subjects summarised in 

 separate chapters. The work is one which reflects great 

 credit on British physiologists, and we heartily congratu- 

 late the editor on its production — a work which must 

 have entailed great labour and careful supervision. 

 Perhaps when the next edition is called for it may be 

 issued in three volumes, as volume ii. has reached rather 

 bulky dimensions. 



NO. 1629, VOL. 63] 



THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH. 

 The Royal Observatory, Greenwich j its History and 



Work. By E. VV. Maunder. Pp. 320. (London : the 



Religious Tract Society, 1900.) 



THE history of the Royal Observatory extends over 

 two centuries and a quarter, and its work is cer- 

 tainly not lacking in general interest ; yet Mr. Maunder 

 seems to be the first person to produce a popular 

 account of them, and he has left little room for improve- 

 ment to any one who comes after him in the near future. 

 The history occupies the first 124 pages of the book in 

 five chapters, and the description of the place as it is 

 to-day, and the work as it is now going on, occupy the 

 other 192 pages in eight chapters. This is probably a 

 fair arrangement. Those who would have liked a little 

 more of the history can find it in such works as Bailey's 

 " Life of Flamsteed," or Rigaud's "Life of Bradley.' 

 A " Life of Halley," on a scale worthy of him, has long 

 been wanted, and has several times been nearly under- 

 taken, but the project has, for one reason or another, 

 always fallen through. 



The predecessors of the present Astronomer Royal 

 number seven : Flamsteed, Halley, Bradley, Bliss, 

 Maskelyne, Pond, Airy. Of these Bliss only filled the 

 position for two years ; but the others lived long and 

 worked hard at their posts, Flamsteed, Maskelyne and 

 Airy for nearly half a century each ; Halley, Bradley 

 and Pond for nearly a quarter. And though there is 

 so much straightforward routine work in astronomy, 

 especially at a national observatory (and among national 

 observatories, especially at Greenwich), yet the names of 

 the Astronomers Royal are all associated with one or two 

 notable events, often, though not always, special achieve- 

 ments of their own. The name of Flamsteed calls up at 

 once the foundation of the observatory (which was in 

 great measure due to him), and unfortunately also the 

 quarrel with Newton ; that of Halley, the publication of 

 the Principia, and the first prediction of the return of a 

 comet ; that of Bradley, the discovery of Aberration and 

 Nutation, as well as his fine catalogue of stars ; that 

 of Maskelyne, the invention of lunar distances and the 

 chronometer, and the establishment of the Nautical 

 Almanac. Airy deserves to be remembered as the man 

 who first suggested how to compensate the compass in 

 iron ships, though, like Flamsteed, he was unfortunate 

 enough to leave another reputation, from his attitude 

 towards the discovery of Neptune. Pond and Bliss are 

 something of exceptions ; but the former has recently 

 been eulogised by Mr. Chandler as a phenomenal 

 observer ; and even of Bliss we may say that it was a 

 distinct achievement to leave behind him only one 

 authentic portrait, and that scratched by a boon-com- 

 panion on a pewter- flagon ! The seven Astronomers 

 Royal were not only men of ability, who worked hard, 

 but men of clear-cut individuality ; and their average 

 length of life was nearer four score years than three score 

 years and ten. We ought to have all their portraits in 

 our National Portrait Gallery, including an electrotype 

 of that curiosity inscribed " This sure is Bliss, if Bliss 

 on earth there be." 



Mr. Maunder has given us the main facts of these in- 

 teresting lives in a thoroughly readable form. He then 

 passes on to the Observatory as it is now, and we must 



