Fune 23, 1870 | 
NATURE 
the next three years of an income large enough to secure 
the aid of competent assistants in the different depart- 
ments, we shall be able to put our immense collections in 
complete order, and to enlarge the building sufficiently to 
exhibit all our specimens in their true relations. I hope 
that in three years any intelligent observer will be able to 
say that a mere walk through our museum teaches him 
something of the geographical distribution of animals, of 
their history in past ages, of the laws controlling their 
growths as they now exist, and of their mutual affinities— 
in short, that the whole will be so combined as to illus- 
trate all that science has thus far deciphered of the plan 
of creation. This is my hope, and it is shared by the 
efficient corps of assistants on whose co-operation I 
largely de: end for its fulfilment (p. 4).” Prof. Agassiz has 
set himself a noble task, and we doubt not that when it is 
completed, the museum of Harvard College will be an 
intellectual monument worthy alike of its curator and of 
the science of which he is so distinguished an ornament. 
OUTLINES OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY 
Grundriss der Physiologie des Menschen. Von Prof. Dr. 
L. Hermann. Dritte ginzlich umgearbeitete Auflage. 
1870. (Berlin: Hirschwald. London: Williams and 
Norgate.) 
NALBES this work first appeared, now more than 
seven years ago, it at once became our favourite 
handbook of physiology, and it has ever since been our 
constant companion. Perhaps the chief reason why it so 
especially commended itself to us was the fact that it 
served as the clearest and best exponent of what may be 
called the radical school of physiology. Its general ar- 
rangement differed altogether from that of most modern 
text-books. It entirely threw on one side that division 
into “functions” (function of respiration, function of 
digestion, and the like) which, after all, does not lessen 
much the labour of the author, and certainly leads the 
student astray, throwing, as it does, into the background, 
or even completely hiding, the essential oneness and 
solidarity of the animal body, and bringing the learner 
to regard the organism as a bundle of “functions,” one 
of which might easily be pulled away without much 
harm being done. The leading idea of the book was to 
follow out as closely as possible the doctrine of the con- 
servation of energy. That idea was kept steadily in view 
throughout the volume, and faithfully adhered to. 
Another remarkable feature was the bold attitude taken 
up towards recent discoveries. These are always great 
stumbling-blocks to teachers and text-books. Some 
authors, especially German authors, put in everything that 
comes up, leaving time and future editions to take out 
again the things that wither up. Others, again, put in 
nothing that does not seem to be already fairly estab- 
lished, and the student who trusts to these alone has 
perhaps to wait several years, till a new edition tells him 
of results which have had, it may be, a most powerful 
influence on the progress of the science for as many 
years back. A third class, and of these Prof. Hermann 
is one, make up their mind as to what they think will 
stand and what will not, and so accept the one and reject 
the other, though both may have been published yester- 
day. This course being bold is of necessity dangerous ; 
and a new edition is, in the case of such books, a most 
critical occasion. 
An unusual popularity has now brought the present 
work to a third edition, and the author may certainly con- 
gratulate himself on the little which he has had to undo 
Many new things which in 1863 he boldly accepted have 
since been ratified by general consent. 
The present edition differs from the preceding two in 
being made much larger and more complete. We trust 
that it has now reached its full growth, for one of the great 
merits of the first edition was its small size. Otherwise, 
beyond the increased filling up of all parts, the book does 
not differ materially from what it was. We are glad to 
see that several oversights, such, for instance, as the ex- 
traordinary statement of the first edition that the apex 
of the heart beats between the seventh and eighth ribs, 
have been corrected, and that the author gives a fair 
account of matters in reference to which he has been 
engaged in personal controversies, as, for example, in the 
physiology of muscle. 
The boldness in selection of material to which we 
have referred, renders the book in some measure un- 
suitable for a student not sufficiently advanced to have 
acquired a physiological judgment ; but we would urge it 
upon the notice of all who wish to have a clear and 
succinct exposition of the physiology of the present day. 
M. F. 
OUR BOOK SHELF 
Ox the Strength of Beams, Columns, and Arches. 
Baker, Assoc. Inst. C.E. 
Spon, 1870.) , 
THE subject matter of this little volume is of great im- 
portance to Civil Engineers. All structures resolve them- 
selves ultimately into beams, columns, and arches, of 
some kind. It is therefore of great importance that the 
engineer should be familiar with the mode of ascertaining ~ 
their strength or their resistance, We approve, in the 
main, of Mr. Baker’s endeavour to dispense with high 
mathematics by substituting geometrical solutions for or- 
dinary problems, because, unfortunately, mathematics is 
not the strong side of English engineers, although Eng- 
land has produced the greatest of mathematicians. But 
the author seems to labour under serious misapprehen- 
sions. He proposes his geometrical solutions, because he 
thinks that the use of mathematics “involves an unjusti- 
fiable waste of time, with the great contingent disadvantage 
that it checks the growth of sound judgment in the 
engineer, by giving a fictitious appearance of accuracy to 
his results which are not susceptible of exact deduction.” 
This isa grievous error. The spirit of mathematics is the 
expression of most acute and refined reasoning ; and how 
can the practice of intellectual reasoning check the growth 
of sound judgment in the engineer? The fictitious ap- 
pearance of accuracy above mentioned, is altogether be- 
side the question, because it is optional ; but not so the 
correctness of our reasoning and arguments, The author 
makes the above statement in his preface, and we find, 
unfortunately, that throughout the volume the spirit of 
mathematics is sadly offended. Let us take for example 
the author’s mode of calculating the strength of beams. 
He shows us how the strength of a beam may be found 
geometrically, and derives the formule for rectangular 
and other beams, assuming the neutral axis of the beam 
to pass through the centre of gravity of the sectional area 
of the beam. 
By B. 
(London; E. and F. N, 
