Mav 20 1897] 



NATURE 



51 



wonder what Prof. Rutherford's feelings will be when he 

 sees the diagram of two liver lobules, which is presented 

 in Fig. 121. 



Not that we, by any means, wish to imply that all or 

 even most of the illustrations are of the character above 

 specified. On the contrary, if we put aside accuracy of 

 detail, many give a representation of ordinary micro- 

 scopical objects which will rejoice the heart of the 

 average student, because he will find that his preparations 

 are "just like the drawings," i.e. as long as he sticks to 

 the stereotyped methods which are customary m certain 

 histological courses. And this is the key-note of the 

 practical directions which are given in the text. A few 

 common methods of general applicability, such as have 

 been employed with occasional modifications for the last 

 twenty years, are described, but many of the most valu- 

 able modern developments are conspicuous by their 

 absence. We look in vain for the methylene-blue ^ 

 method of Ehrlich for showing nerve-endings, the in- 

 valuable method for tracing degenerating nerves de- 

 scribed by Marchi, the bulk-staining method of Heiden- 

 hain. The student is not taught how to examine each 

 tissue in the fresh condition, but dependence is almost 

 entirely placed upon sections and stained preparations. 

 Formol is not even mentioned, although it has been for 

 at least three years in constant useby histologists. These 

 are faults of omission which cannot be excused by the 

 statement in the preface that " only the well-known and 

 well-tried methods are given." The above are all well- 

 known and well-tried methods, and all students of his- 

 tology ought to be familiar with them. Nor are faults 

 of commission lacking. We are told that a tissue treated 

 with nitrate of silver, and exposed to good daylight, 

 requires for staining "a few hours to a day or two"; 

 whereas every histologist knows that a few minutes 

 under these circumstances is abundantly sufficient. The 

 gustatory nerve-fibres are shown continued into the 

 central ends of the gustatory cells. It is stated to be 

 '' not as yet very clearly decided as to whether the 

 cylinder cells, the rod cells, or both, are to be regarded 

 as the peripheral terminations of the olfactory nerve." 

 The lens is described as "somewhat lozenge shaped"; 

 and so on. 



It is not a little remarkable that a work of this sort, 

 lacking, as it does, the first principle of a text-book, 

 accuracy, and compiled, as it acknowledgedly is, largely 

 from other text-books, should have been the subject of 

 numerous eulogistic notices in the medical, scientific, 

 and even in the public press. One would hardly expect 

 the Scotsman to think that the plates " represent what 

 ought to be seen in perfect specimens," and the Western 

 Daily Press to find that " the details are specified with a 

 delicacy and microscopic accuracy which reveal innumer- 

 able anatomical beauties" ; and it is somewhat surprising 

 that another reviewer finds "the semi-diagrammatic repre- 

 sentations of liver" (I), amongst others, " very helpful," 

 and yet another hails the work as " an important contri- 

 bution to histological literature." We can only regret 

 that we have been unable to endorse these and many 

 other expressions of opinion of an equally favourable 



1 The author is apparently unaware that methyl-blue and methylene- 

 blue are two entirely different substances and have different histological 

 uses, for he constantly uses the term methyl-blue where methylene-blue 

 would be appropriate. 



NO. 1438, VOL. 56] 



character, which have been forwarded to us. For, in 

 fact, the only part of the subject which bears any ind'ica- 

 tion of having been specially studied by the author is 

 that dealing with the ductless glands, especially the 

 haimal glands and the suprarenal capsules, and this shows 

 a marked superiority of treatment. Had the whole book 

 been written in the manner in which this part has been 

 done, such eulogies might, perhaps, have been justifiable ; 

 but, as this is not the case, they entirely overshoot the 

 mark, and can only lead to a feeling of disappointment 

 on the part of the reader. 



STUDIES ON EARL V MAN. 

 Studies in Ancient History. By J. F. M'Lennan. 

 Second Series. Pp. xvi -f 605. (London: Macmillan 

 and Co., Ltd., 1896.) 



IT is now many, many years since Mr. M'Lennan came 

 before the public as an expounder of the beliefs 

 and habits of early man, and we think that no one will 

 deny to him the credit of having brought a trained mind 

 and good powers of reasoning and deduction to his 

 work. More than this, it must be admitted that he 

 collected his facts with great care, and that although 

 some of his results have not stood the test of time, they 

 have at least served as finger-posts to point others to the 

 right paths. More than twenty years have gone by since 

 the first series of his "Studies in Ancient History" 

 saw the light, and twenty years in the science of anthro- 

 pology and its cognate subjects represent a vast amount 

 of progress in these times. It was evident to Mr. 

 M'Lennan himself that some of his views would have to 

 be modified by the results of other workers, and though, 

 alas, he never lived to re-edit a second edition of the 

 "Studies," he was fortunate enough to have found a 

 sympathetic supporter in his brother Mr. D. M'Lennan, 

 who not only published as "a preliminary and polemical 

 inquiry" "The Patriarchal Theory," but also a second 

 edition of the "Studies" with notes by himself. Soon 

 after this Mr. D. M'Lennan was himself carried off by 

 death, and the late Prof. W. K. Smith undertook to finish 

 the work which the two brothers had begun. About this 

 time, however, 'Prof. W. R. Smith was deeply engaged in 

 the study of Oriental kinship and marriage, and totemism, 

 and he was also planning his series of lectures on 

 " fundamental institutions " ; it is evident that he had 

 little leisure in which to arrange the labours of other 

 workers. That little leisure, moreover, was broken in 

 upon by the increase of the malady which subsequently 

 caused his death, and as a matter of fact he left 

 M'Lennan's work pretty well as he found it. Mrs. 

 M'Lennan then determined to attetnpt the publication of 

 all papers that were at all In a fit state, and she was 

 fortunate enough to find not only a willing, but a most 

 able friend in Mr. A. Piatt, who as long as she lived 

 assisted her in the work, and when she was dead, com- 

 pleted the labour of love which she had begun. 



The second series of the " Studies " is divided into 

 two parts ; the first relates chiefly to kinship, totemism, 

 marriage, the origin of exogamy, female infanticide, &c., 

 and the second to the customs of the peoples of the 

 Pacific Islands, America, Africa and Australia in these 

 matters. Of the various chapters, only that on the 



