52 



NA TURE 



[November 17, 1892 



Weigert's method of preparing and staining nerve-tissue 

 is S'ven, but with one important detail left out, viz., that 

 on removing the specimen from Miiller's fluid or chromic 

 acid solution it should have a brown, and not a green 

 colour. The preparation of individual tissues and organs 

 is well dealt with in chapter xii., but in the succeeding 

 one on the examination oftunours there are such evident 

 signs of hasty composition as to render it of small in- 

 trinsic value. On the other hand, the important subjects 

 of urinary and excrementitious matters receive ample 

 treatment ; and we have a clear resume up to this date 

 of all that is taught on these subjects. As an example 

 we note with pleasure the account of Dr. Delepine's 

 work on "sable intestinal." The bacillus of Asiatic 

 cholera and the methods of its detection are described 

 on p. 228 ; and the diagnostic points between it and that 

 of cholera nostras are found on the next page. A large 

 amount of space is necessarily devoted to the examina- 

 tion of sputa. Dr. Wethered's experience at the City of 

 London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest enables him 

 to speak with the voice of authority on the signification 

 of the presence or absence of the tubercle bacillus. 

 Physiologists will find their side of the question well con- 

 sidered in the observations on blood ; on Dr. A. Garrod's 

 authority we are told that the blood of the Londoner has 

 not yet been found to contain its true proportion of haemo- 

 globin. Eosinophile cells are not omitted ; but for more 

 detailed information on this point we commend to the 

 notice of pathologists the article by Dr. A. Kanthack 

 in the British Medical Journal of June, 1892. 



Medical microscopy as a subject is exceedingly elastic, 

 and we believe Dr. Wethered has stretched it to its widest 

 limits when he finds space for describing the examina- 

 tion of various kinds of cereals, also of water. Even 

 the homely tea-leaf has not escaped his notice. A few 

 instances of clerical errors are to be found, thus Hart- 

 nach for Hartnack, on p. 122, Richert for Reichert. 

 At the term " collodionization " we venture to express our 

 distaste. A growing practice exists of introducing un- 

 gainly expressions of doubtful expediency into scientific 

 works. 



We have read this book with considerable attention, 

 and are convinced that it has a most distinct raison cVHre, 

 and justifies on the whole, by the merit of its execution, 

 the ambition of its title. It treats of the matter in hand 

 with much ability, and in a manner that evidences con- 

 siderable experience on the part of the author as a 

 pathologist, physician, and teacher. 



A. H. Tubby. 



ODOROGRAPHIA. 

 Odorographia : a Natural History of Raw Materials 

 and Drugs used in the Perfume Industry. By J. 

 Ch. Sawer, F.L.S. (London : Gurney and Jackson, 

 1892.) 



CONSIDERING the importance of the subject of 

 perfumes both from a scientific and a commercial 

 point of view, it is somewhat surprising that a really good 

 and authoritative book dealing on the matters encom- 

 passed by " Odorographia " has not before been at- 

 tempted. The delay in the, appearance o such a work 

 NO. 1203, VOL. 47] 



is probably due to the fact that but few persons possess the 

 requisite knowledge to treat the subject in a thoroughly 

 satisfactory manner in all its bearings, such as the 

 origin and production of the numerous products, whether 

 animal or vegetable, and the chemical aspect of every 

 substance and its commercial value, which are points that 

 could scarcely be expected to be mastered by one mind. In 

 the " Pharmacographia " of Fliickiger and Hanbury, two 

 master minds on the subject of drugs were brought into 

 co-operation, with the result that a most satisfactory and 

 standard work on medicinal plants was produced. That 

 this book was in the mind of the author when he com- 

 piled his " Odorographia," and selected its title, is quite 

 apparent, and we are bound to say that on the whole he 

 has done his work remarkably well, though we wish 

 that he had adhered more strictly to the lines of his 

 pattern. Mr. Sawer, however, at the very commence- 

 ment of his preface, is so modest as to say that " an 

 endeavour has here been made to collect together into one 

 manual the information which has hitherto been only 

 obtainable by reference to an immense number of works 

 and journals, English and foreign, in many cases in- 

 accessible to readers interested in the subject," and that 

 he is thoroughly well acquainted with all that has been 

 written is apparent not only from a glance through the 

 pages, where numerous references occur, but also from 

 the " List of Principal Works referred to." Besides this 

 the author has, as he tells us, obtained information first 

 hand from some of the largest perfume-plant growers and 

 manufacturers of Grasse, Nice, and localities in the 

 Straits Settlements and West Indies. The difficulties 

 attending the compilation of a work of this nature have, 

 no doubt, been very great, because scraps of information 

 are so widely dispersed, and even when found often- 

 times very confusing. The botany alone of the subject 

 must have occupied a considerable amount of time in 

 looking up, the plants yielding perfumes being natives 

 of various parts of the globe, and consequently described 

 in the several floras appertaining to those special coun- 

 tries, besides which the chemical and commercial aspects 

 occupy a large portion of the book. 



Though we are grateful to Mr. Sawer for giving us a 

 book that was really wanted, we regret, as we said before, 

 that he has not followed more closely the plan of the 

 " Pharmacographia" and arranged his matter under dis- 

 tinct heads, such as History, Botany, Cultivation, 

 Chemistry, Commerce, &c. Practically he has done so 

 to a certain extent, but the paragraphs are not sufficiently 

 distinguished to enable one to turn at once to that upon 

 which information may be specially sought. The 

 arrangement of chapters, in which the most important 

 and marked odours, such as those of musk, rose, violet, 

 the citrine odours, &c., are brought together, is good, 

 but the principal plants in each of these groups might 

 have been treated as we have described, the least im- 

 portant ones being given as they are at the end of the 

 chapters. 



Returning to the botany of the book, we cannot but 

 think that the author might well have spared much space 

 by the omission of numerous varietal names and 

 synonyms, many of which are scarcely ever heard of 

 now, and which often only tend to confusion. Under 

 Violet, for instance (p. 104), half a page is given to a list 



