Mar., 1905.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



67 



X-Rays: Their Employment in Cancer and other Diseases. 



By Richard J. Cowen (London, Henry Glaisher ; price, js. 6d.). 

 — In Dr. Cleaves' bool< the Roentgen ray has not been con- 

 sidered, althongh it properly bslongs to a consideration of 

 light energy, becanse in the author's opinion the subject has 

 been exhaustively treated by other writers. Mr. Cowen's 

 book on the X-rays is not an exhaustive treatment ; and 

 makes no effort to summarize either results or conclusions. 

 It only aims at selecting such details of X-ray treatment as 

 may be of assistance to those practitioners who desire to make 

 use of it ; and to give hints concerning the use of apparatus 

 and the methods and times for exposures. Incidentally, the 

 book may be of service in disclosiug to the general reader the 

 probable limits of usefulness in this method of treatment and 

 in dissipating some of the unfounded expectations of cures 

 arising from it. 



Practical Exercises in Chemical Physiology and Histology. 



Arranged by H. B. Lacey and C. A. Pannett (Cambridge: 

 Heffer and Sons. Loudon: Simpkin and Marshall). — In this 

 capital little book of instruction for practical work, in which 

 the experiments to be made are annotated for the student's 

 benefit with the results to be looked for, Mr. Lacey and Mr. 

 Pannett have hit the best road, if not the royal road, to learn- 

 ing. The description of the chemical compound to be 

 analysed heads each exercise like the statement of a problem 

 or a theorem ; its methods of analysis follow like a problem ; 

 and the statement of the results to be expected from chemical 

 treatment or analysis give the key to the problem. The 

 exercises have been arranged on a course which has been 

 found practicable in the senior classes of day science schools 

 and in evening classes, and which will be found to meet the 

 requirements of students preparing for physiology examina- 

 tions — Stages I., II., and III., and Honours of the Science 

 Department of the Board of Education. Some of the results 

 obtained from the analysis of popular meat extracts have an 

 interest for a larger section of the general public than is com- 

 prised among science students. 



The Geographical Journal, Vol. XXIV., July to December, 

 1904 (Royal Geographical Society). — This is an exceptionally 

 interesting volume, containing as it does the Presidential 

 Address for 1904, the Summary of Proceedings of the National 

 Antarctic Expedition by Captain Scott (forwarded from New 

 Zealand), account of the Swedish .\ntarctic Expedition by Dr. 

 Nordenskiold, account of the German Antarctic Expedition, 

 and finally an account of the Antarctic Meeting at the Albert 

 Hall and presentation of medals to Captain Scott. So that, 

 accompanied by a number of good maps, there is a very com- 

 plete record of what has been done in antarctic exploration in 

 recent years. Besides this there are several specially notable 

 papers, such as Major Powell-Cotton's narrative of his journey 

 through Northern Uganda, the Rev. A. B. Fisher's account of 

 Western Uganda, and the scientific results of Dr. Sven Hedin's 

 Last Journey. There is also much in this volume about the 

 Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh Water Lochs of Scotland, 

 and the usual interesting assortment of Geographical records, 

 with many illustrations and maps. 



Wellcorae's Photographic Exposure Record for 1905 (Burroughs 

 Wellcome & Co.), is. and is. 6d. — This neatly-got-up little 

 pocket-book has several new features this year, amongst others 

 being that the monthly light tables are so arranged that they 

 may be torn out as done with each month, and a number of 

 blank ruled pages form the Exposure record. The book is 

 replete with information on the development, toning, intensi- 

 fication, exposure, &c., of photographic plates, and contains a 

 diary, memoranda, and many useful tables, ending up with a 

 revolving exposure calculator. 



The same firm (Messrs. Burroughs and Wellcome) ssnd us 

 some interesting pamphlets on their exhibits at the St. Louis 

 Exposition, which indicate in a concise manner the size and 

 completeness of their Physiological and Chemical Research 

 Laboratories. 



We have received for review three new volumes of " The 

 Model Engineer Series" (Percival Marshall and Co.; price 

 6d. net). Model Steam Turbines, by Mr. H. H. Harrison, 

 lays down the principles on which these engines may be 

 designed. It is clearly written and fully illustrated. " Small 



Electrical Measuring Instruments, published anonymously, 

 is designed for the use of those who are engaged in the con- 

 struction of small-power dynamos or electric motors, &c., and 

 who want to make simple tests and measurements when build- 

 ing and using them. The explanations given are of a simple 

 rather than an advanced nature. The Beginner's Guide to 

 the Lathe, by Percival Marshall, A.I.Mech.E., is addressed, 

 as its title suggests, to novices in the use of that fascinating 

 instrument. It is well designed to suit its purpose, and the 

 appliances suggested are of a simple and inexpensive kind. 



How a Steam Engine Works, by W. E. M. Curnock 

 (Dawbarn and Ward). Od., is a practical and handy little guide 

 for those wishing to learn the principles and practice of the 

 steam engine, illustrated with clear diagrams. How to Read 

 a Workshop Drawing, by W. Longland is another little 

 book of the same series, which clearly explains all the 

 different " conventionalities " of machine designs and draw- 

 ings, and is well worth perusal by those who have not been 

 instructed in such matters. 



The copyright of that most useful and popular handbook. 

 •' Half Hours with the Microscope," by Dr. Edwin Lankester, 

 formerly published by Messrs. W. H. Allen and Co., has been 

 acquired by Messrs. C. -Arthur Pearson, Limited, who have 

 also purchased the companion volume by Thomas Davies, on 

 the '• Preparation and Mounting of Microscopic Objects." The 

 latter has been out of print for some time, but a new and 

 cheaper edition will be published very shortly. 



Rendering Celluloid Incombustible. 



In order to overcome the undesirable quality of celluloid to 

 gnite, a French chemist has adopted the following method : 

 An ether-alcohol solution of celluloid is made ; then an ether- 

 alcohol solution of ferric perchloride. The two solutions are 

 mixed, and a clear, syrupy liquid is obtained, of yellow coHur, 

 yielding no precipitates. The liquid is poured into a suitable 

 vessel and is left for spontaneous evaporation, and a substance 

 of shell-colour is produced, which, after washing and drying, 

 gives the desired result. The celluloid thus treated loses none 

 of its properties of pliability and transparency, and is not only 

 uninflammable, but is also incombustible. 



•Another method by which the celluloid may be rendered 

 uninflammable, based on the same principle, consists in 

 mixing bromide of camphor with cotton powder, adding castor 

 oil to soften the substance so that it may be less brittle. This 

 product, though more easily prepared, is, however, not incom- 

 bustible like the former preparation. 



" Solidified Raindrops." 



Mr. Wilson A. Bentley, writing in the Monthly Weather Re- 

 vicii.' (October), gives an account of studies of the comparative 

 sizes of raindrops extending from iSgg up to the present time. 

 The method of comparison consisted in letting the rain fall 

 into a dish containing fine flour, and the size of the dough pellets 

 formed aftorded a measure of the size of the drops producing 

 them. For small drops, the pellet was found by laboratory 

 experiments to be almost exactly the size of the drops, but 

 with large drops a certain flattening out took place. The 

 method is very simple, and enables the features of different 

 showers of rain to be compared at a glance, and the variations 

 in the size of the drops at the beginning, middle, and end of a 

 shower recorded. Presumably the wind must not be so high 

 as to blow all the flour away. It may be suggested that people 

 who have time to spare and wish to devote their attention to 

 some interesting and scientific pursuit requiring little trouble, 

 might do worse than form a collection of " solidified rain- 

 drops," and if this were done systematically by a large number 

 of observers scattered over the country, the observations 

 could not fail to afford a share of useful meteorological infor- 

 mation. 



