74 
NATURE 
[May 25, 1899 
somewhat abstruse, and the style involved, but should be 
of considerable interest and importance to the neurologist. 
3. This report contains a mass of interesting fact ; the 
parts of it, however, most likely to be appreciated by the 
readers of NATURE are the reports contained in Ap- 
pendices A and B. These are generalised in the report 
proper as Auxiliary Scientific Investigations. Oneof the 
most interesting of these treats of the relation of enteric 
fever to oysters. The Medical Department was suc- 
cessful in tracking at least twenty-six cases of enteric 
fever to infection by Brightlingsea-oysters. It was also 
ascertained that, during 1897, infectious matters derived 
from persons suffering from enteric fever must needs 
have been discharged in the immediate neighbourhood 
of certain oyster beds situated in Brightlingsea Creek. 
The Urban District Council of Brightlingsea are now 
taking measures which will obviate this pollution of their 
oyster-beds. 
Dr. Klein reports upon bacillus enteritidis sporogenes. 
This anerobic bacillus occurs under certain conditions 
in milk, and has a casual relation to infantile diarrhcea. 
Dr. Sidney Martin furnishes a report on the viability 
of the typhoid bacillus in virgin and organically polluted 
soil. This research, so far as concerns the ability of the 
typhoid bacillus to thrive in soils containing other 
bacteria, is at present incomplete. 
A short report deals with the relative values of the 
chemical and bacterioscopic methods of water analysis ; 
from this it appears that, in the case of waters very 
slightly contaminated with sewerage, chemical methods 
gave negative results when bacilli could be detected in 
probably harmful quantity. 
Some further interesting observations upon the strep- 
tococcus scarlatines have been made. It appears that 
this organism, which is the cause of scarlatina, may 
haunt the nasal secretion of patients long after desquam- 
ation has ceased and recovery has taken place. 
4. The “ Contemporary Science Series,” so well known 
to the general scientific reader, has, in including this 
work in its publications, acted very wisely. It is quite 
impossible in a short notice, like the present, to give any 
adequate account of the contents of Dr. Gillespie’s book. 
The subject is treated from a thoroughly scientific stand- 
point, and yet at the same time is made essentially read- 
able even to the general reader. The only two faults to 
be found with the book are that, firstly, it is too con- 
densed, and secondly, no doubt for the sake of saving 
space, the complete references to the literature of the 
subject are not always quoted. Names are from time to 
time mentioned without the full reference. This fault is 
somewhat accentuated by the absence of a bibliography, 
the mere list of authors being actually of little service. 
The book is thoroughly up to date, and although there 
is no attempt at making it in any sense a practical hand- 
book, sufficient of the practical is introduced to give 
point and interest to the descriptive. 
In the chapters upon such subjects as foods, alcohols, 
&c., the author showsa wise discrimination, and does not 
allow himself to be the mouthpiece of any of the many 
varieties of faddism which exist. A biological survey of 
digestion such as the present, containing a description of 
digestion in plants, as well as in animals, is certain to 
be of value to the biologist. The chapter on ferments 
NO. 1543, VOL. 60] 
contains an account of the most recent researches in this 
field. Numerous diagrams and tables, the latter con- 
taining a mass of information, add to the value of the 
work, 
5. Dr. Haig’s book may be regarded as an appendix to 
the author’s earlier work on “Uric Acid.” Many of the 
views expressed therein, and reiterated here, are not 
generally accepted either by physiological chemists on 
the one hand, or by physicians on the other. It is well 
to make this fact quite clear, as the general reader, into 
whose hands this book will probably fall, may be apt to 
think that what the author states as “shown” or 
“proved” in “ Uric Acid” is universally accepted fact. 
The obstruction of the peripheral capillary circulation by 
uric acid may be quoted as an instance of this ; it is well 
to emphasise the fact that this is pure imagination. 
Further, the poisonous properties ascribed to uric acid 
and the xanthins are by no means established. To the 
readers of “ Uric Acid,” such expressions as “a rush of 
a lot of uric acid into the blood” will be familiar. “A 
lot” of uric acid has never been demonstrated in the 
blood under any circumstances, and such an expression 
must be regarded as highly unscientific and misleading. 
Upon premises akin to the above and a few experiments, 
the author recommends what may be termed ultra- 
vegetarianism ; that is, a vegetarian diet from which eggs 
are excluded, also tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco. The 
book is written in a popular style, and it is to be feared 
that the plausibility of the manner and the attractiveness 
of the title, by increasing the circulation of the book 
amongst the public, will tend rather to the perpetuation 
of faddism than to the advancement of knowledge. 
6. This work is a critical and an historical inquiry into 
a subject which zfso facto is of universal interest. The 
author lays great stress upon the stringent nature of the 
proof which must be exacted in the case of any claim 
to having acquired very advanced age. The methods 
adopted by the Institute of Actuaries may be regarded in 
this respect as a standard. Some score of examples of 
centenarians, authenticated beyond all doubt, is given ; 
but the author rejects such instances as William Parr, 
to whom tradition ascribes the age of 157 years, as 
unproved. An interesting chapter is devoted to a con- 
sideration of the enormous age of the Biblical patriarchs, 
various hypotheses being advanced in explanation of 
this. The book concludes with some interesting specula- 
tions concerning a possible law of longevity. The author 
has taken considerable pains to sift well the literature of 
his subject, and if the whole is not as concise as perhaps 
it might be, the book contains much that is interesting 
and instructive. 1 ene Oe 
ROUTH’S DYNAMICS OF A PARTICLE. 
A Treatise on the Dynamics of a Particle. By Edward 
John Routh, Sc.D., LL.D., M.A., F.R.S., &c. Pp. xi 
+417. (Cambridge University Press, 1898.) 
HIS treatise is intended for the student. It has 
all the merits as well as the limitations which 
characterise Dr. Routh’s other well-known text-books ; 
and, on the principle of reserving the good wine to the 
last, we will first consider its limitations, more particularly 
as an introduction to dynamical science. 
