APRIL 14, 1904] 
bacteriological examination of the throat and nose in 
convalescents and in mild sore throats associated with 
diphtheria epidemics, since there can be little doubt 
that this is one of the most important sources of danger 
in the spread of the disease. We note also the un- 
accountable omission of bleaching powder as a dis- 
infectant for tuberculous sputum; this substance, on 
account of its solvent powers on mucus, is now well 
recognised as far superior to any other chemical] dis- 
infectant for the purpose. 
Those who are acquainted with the Progressive 
Science Series will be prepared to find the book well 
printed and got up. The illustrations are few in 
number, but fairly good, if we except a poor figure of 
the diphtheria bacillus on p. 193. There is an excellent 
index. 
PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 
Practical Physiological Chemistry. By Dr. J. A. 
Milroy and Prof. T. H. Milroy. Pp. viii + 201; 
interleaved. (Edinburgh and London: William 
Green and Sons, 1904.) 
A Laboratory Manual of Physiological and Patho- 
logical Chemistry for Students of Medicine. By 
Prof. E. Salkowski. Translated from the second 
German edition by Prof. W. R. Orndorff. Pp. ix+ 
263; with ten figures and a coloured plate of absorp- 
tion spectra. (New York: John Wiley and Sons; 
London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1904.) Price 
ios. 6d. net. 
HE first work under notice is divided into 
two main portions, the first qualitative, the 
second quantitative, and the subjects of chemico- 
physiological interest are treated in a thoroughly 
practical and systematic manner. The book is 
written by those who have the necessary know- 
ledge of both chemistry and physiology combined with 
experience in teaching. The result is a book which 
can be warmly recommended, and one which is 
perfectly trustworthy and free from error. It probably 
includes more than is usually done by students in a 
practical class with only a limited time at their dis- 
posal. It will be necessary for the judicious teacher 
to select the portions which he regards as essential; 
the large number of exercises will render this in one 
sense easy, though in some cases we see there may 
be a difficulty in choosing what shall be omitted where 
all is so excellent and so clearly explained. A few 
plates of important pieces of apparatus, of certain 
crystals and of absorption spectra are appended. We 
could have wished to see rather more illustrations of 
this kind, but this minor defect can be remedied in 
future editions. 
Prof. Salkowski’s name is a guarantee in itself that 
the student of physiological chemistry cannot fail to 
find much that is excellent and useful in any work he 
may write, and there is no doubt that this manual, 
either in the original German or in the present English 
translation, should find its place on the shelves of any 
well equipped physiological laboratory. There are 
NO. 1798, VOL. 69] 
NATURE 
So” 
certain methods of investigation which Prof. Salkowski 
has elaborated, and others at which he has particularly 
worked, some of a complicated nature not usually 
found in text-books of this kind; it is these which the 
advanced student or the investigator will find best 
treated in the present volume 
We cannot say that we think the book well suited 
for students’ class work. This is no doubt largely due 
to the difference between German and English methods 
of teaching. The systematic practical class which 
forms such an important feature in the medical schools 
of Great Britain and America is almost unknown in 
Germany. There each student works independently 
in the laboratory at times and for periods which best 
suit him; he is left to worry out the problems very 
largely by himself. For the first-rate man this is a 
first-rate method, but the main bulk of the students do 
not receive such a thorough grounding as under the 
English system. The book is far too elaborate for 
the average student, though not complete enough in 
all directions for those engaged in original research. 
The worst fault of the manual is its want of system, 
and no doubt this arises from the German method or 
want of method just alluded to. This was particularly 
striking as we had previously been reading the book 
by Prof. Milroy and his brother. In this book the 
rational method is adopted of describing first the de- 
tection of the elements in an organic substance, then 
follow chapters on the three main classes of physio- 
logical compounds, carbohydrates, fats and proteids; 
from this we pass by natural sequence to the foods, 
the digestive fluids, the excretions and so forth. Prof. 
Salkowski, on the other hand, starts with the examin- 
ation of millx, and treats the properties of the proteids 
as a sort of appendix to the study of that fluid, 
although the principal proteid of millx is by nc means 
a typical one. Next follows a chapter on muscular 
tissue, a complex subject for a student only just start- 
ing work. A study of gastric juice succeeds this, and 
a chapter on the blood is sandwiched between that and 
the study of saliva. The pancreas, the bile, the urine, 
the liver, bone, fat and egg follow in the order named. 
Exactly the same thing is seen in each individual 
chapter; thus in that on the quantitative analysis of 
urine, we find several methods given for estimating 
urea, but instead of all coming together, they are 
separated by sections dealing with the estimation of 
uric acid and creatinine. We notice also that the 
book is not thoroughly up to date; this has been 
remedied in some cases by additions made by the 
translator, but in other cases, notably in the chapter 
oa muscle, this has not been done. The translation 
has been well carried out, and Prof. Orndorff has done 
wisely in omitting the very large portion of the original 
work which deals with inorganic chemistry. 
It is quite right that a translation of Prof. 
Salkowski’s book should have appeared; it is a book 
with a deservedly high reputation, and has much to 
recommend it; our criticisms are mainly directed to 
show that it is not suitable for the average student of 
medicine on account of the manner in which the sub- 
jects are presented to him. 
