DISCOVERY 



339 



living cell. Sir William Bayliss gives an interesting and 

 well-balanced survey both of what is k^ow^l and of the 

 many gaps in our knowledge. Many of his individual 

 statements will, as he admits, be controverted by other 

 physiologists, notably his views on the relation of hEemo- 

 globin to oxygen. Sir William Bayliss maintains, as 

 is well known, that the observed facts are best explained 

 by the assumption that oxyhaemoglobin is an adsorption 

 compound, in apparent opposition to Hill and others, 

 who consider it to be a " chemical " compound to which 

 the law of mass action applies. But may not the opposi- 

 tion be more verbal than real ? The modern tendency is 

 to minimise the distinction betiveen " chemical " and 

 " physical " forces, and it is practically certain that 

 adsorbed substances are attached to the adsorbents at 

 definite " points " of their molecular structure. If we 

 assume one point of attachment per haemoglobin molecule, 

 and that all the haemoglobin molecules are accessible, 

 then we shall have an " adsorption compound " in 

 stoichiometric ratio, whose dissociation would be expected 

 to follow the mass action law. 



Quite apart, however, from its importance as an 

 exposition in simple terms of the author's views on this 

 and other problems, the book will be of \'alue to physical 

 chemists and physiologists in indicating in what direc- 

 tions co-operation is most needed, and in encouraging 

 that open-mindedness and breadth of view which is char- 

 acteristic of Sir William Bayliss's scientific attitude. 



D. C. Henry. 



Sidney Ball. Memories and Impressions of "An Ideal 

 Don." Arranged by OoNA Ho\v.\RD B.^LL. (Oxford: 

 Basil Blackwell, 105. 6d.) 

 Lack of space forbids us to WTite as long a review of 

 this book as we should like. Sidney Ball did more than 

 any other " don " of his generation to convert Oxford 

 University from the narrow views of a single class and to 

 place it in touch with the progressive ideas that were 

 growing up outside it. Undergraduates who went to St. 

 John's College will remember him with affection and 

 veneration, and many persons outside his university, 

 well known and unknown, will carry the inspiration of 

 his personality tlurough their lives. The biography has 

 been admirably arranged by JVIrs. Ball and contains im- 

 pressions, among others, by Sidney Webb, Sir William 

 Ashley, Professor Gilbert Murray, and Dr. Farnell. 



E. L. 



ERRATUM 



The price of An Introduction to the History of England, 

 by Mr. (not Dr.) C. R. L. Fletcher, reviewed in our last 

 number, should have been given as 95. 



Books Received 



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