JuLy 24, 1902] 
In the writers opinion, the introductory chapter on 
the properties of logarithms does not furnish the most 
practical method, though of course it is eminently scien- 
tific, of showing the way to the use ofthe slide rule. But 
given that it is to be taught as school subjects are taught, 
z.e. so that the learner cannot see what the object is until 
he has arrived there, there is nothing but commendation 
for these notes, as they are called. Many as the books 
are on the slide rule, the writer of this notice has never 
seen one so complete and so logical. In addition to the 
regular uses which are always explained, though many 
who are familiar with the A, B, C and D lines fight shy 
of the trigonometrical lines, the solution of quadratic and 
cubic equations, exponentials and the plotting of curves 
are illustrated by many examples. Dr. Roget’s log. log. 
line is shortly described, but no reference is made to 
Lanchester’s radial cursor, which makes thermodynamical 
calculations with y-wise exponents almost as direct as 
plain multiplications, and far more convenient than with 
the log. log. line. 
One unfortunate misprint occurs near the beginning, 
where the construction of the rule is being explained, and 
the distance from 1 to 2 or log 2 is stated to be 3°03 
instead of 3’o!. (Ge WS. 18s 
Ingurious and Useful Insects: an Introduction to the 
Study of Economic Entomology. By L. C. Miall, 
F.R.S. Pp. viiit+256. (London: George Bell and 
Sons, 1902.) Price 3s. 6d. 
THIS little book is unfortunate in its title. One would 
expect to find all its pages given up to economic ento- 
mology ; instead we find much valuable space taken up 
with long accounts of a carnivorous water beetle (Dyfiscus 
marginalis), pp. 32 to 37; the tiger moth (Arctia caja), 
pp. 58 to62; the harlequin fly (Chironomus), pp. 100 to 
125. What such subjects have to do with economic 
entomology it is difficult to understand. At the same time, 
some interesting accounts of various economic species 
and groups are given, such, for instance, as the cock- 
chafer, wireworm, turnip-flea, the gooseberry saw-fly, the 
hive bee, the silkworm, aphides and scale insects, &c. 
The accounts of the life-histories of these are all interest- 
ingly and accurately compiled, but when the practical 
part comes the work fails ; compilation mainly from 
foreign sources, unless backed up by practical experience 
of such matters, is usually fatal. 
For instance, no mention is made of trapping the adult 
click-beetles, the parents of the ravenous wireworm, yet it 
is the only way any good is done ; nor is the practice of 
growing a crop of mustard on wirewormy land men- 
tioned, and what is the use of advising the American 
remedy for the ground form of woolly aphis—tobacco- 
dust dug into the soil—in this country? The work is 
divided into four parts, dealing with the following sub- 
jects :—Part i., preliminary lessons, giving an excellent 
account of the structure of an insect ; part ii., lessons on | 
common insects, chiefly such as are either useful or 
injurious to man. 
Part ill. deals with classification, and gives a concise 
outline of the different groups of insects ; this is the most 
useful portion of the book. The names given to a good 
many insects in this part are, however, unfortunately not 
quite accurate ; for instance, on p. 192 all the aphides, vosae, 
humuli, mali, &c., are put as belonging to the genus 
Aphis, which is not the case; nor is the name of the 
diamond-back moth Plufella cruciferarum, nor is that 
of the wheat midge Cecidomyza tritici ; there may be an 
excuse for specific names being inaccurate, but surely 
not for generic ones. 
Part iv. deals with the destruction and mitigation of 
insect pests; this is mainly compiled from American 
sources, the writer evidently being unacquainted with 
any work done in this country. Certainly here no one 
NO. 1708, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
293 
———— 
would dream ‘of following {the advice given on p. 246, 
“Paris green may be applied without danger at the 
strength of 1 lb. to 150 gallons of water.” No mention 
is made of quassia wash or caustic alkali wash, so largely 
used in this country. The whole chapter is, in fact, but 
a poor account of the subject. 
The work is illustrated with 103 figures, the majority 
good, but the reproductions of Bracy Clarke’s bot-flies 
(Figs. 81 and 82) are scarcely recognisable ; nor would 
anyone recognise the larva of the gooseberry saw-fly 
ae 56), or the goat moth and its larva (Figs. 48 and 
49). 
_ To the pure entomologist the work will prove interest- 
ing and instructive reading, but it cannot be recom- 
mended to those who wish to study the economic side of 
the subject. 
Chloroform: a Manual for Students and Practitioners. 
By Edward Lawrie, Lieut.-Colonel I.M.S., &c. Pp. 
120. (London: J. and A. Churchill, 1901.) Price 
5s. net. 
THE book before us will be read with interest by those 
in whose memory the chloroform polemic is still green. 
It consists essentially of a physiological and clinical 
part. With regard te the former, Dr. Lawrie gives a 
history of the polemic between Drs. Gaskell and Shore 
and himself, extending from the first publication of the 
Cambridge physiologists upon this subject to the dis- 
cussion at Toronto in 1894, in which, in the authors 
words, “the victory, which was decisive and permanent, 
rested with us.” In addition to this historical sketch, 
the author gives certain experiments from the report of 
the Hyderabad Commission, some experiments made 
subsequently at Hyderabad, and some made by Prof. 
Rutherford upon the effect of stimulation of the vagus 
nerve during the inhalation of chloroform. These ex- 
periments are all illustrative of the action of chloroform 
upon the circulation, and are adduced by the author in 
support of the thesis that chloroform has no direct 
paralysing action upon the heart. The rest of the book 
is devoted mainly to the clinical aspect of the subject, 
the author entering fully into the technique of chloroform 
administration. Here he maintains strongly that the 
entire attention of the anesthetist should be devoted to 
the respiration, and that no chloroform should be 
administered during struggling. The last chapter is 
devoted to the question of the statistics of chloroform 
and ether administrations. The author’s statistics of 
chloroform show one death in 17,300 administrations ; 
those of Mr. Roger Williams one death in 1236 chloro- 
form and one in 4860 ether administrations. 
Les Limites de la Biologie. Par J. Grasset. Pp. iv + 
188. (Paris: Felix Alcan.) Price 2f. 50c. 
PROF. GRASSET’S book is based upon a lecture he 
delivered at Marseilles in April of last year; we have 
here, however, not only the substance of that discourse, 
but numerous extracts from the writings of philosophers 
and men of science of many countries in support of the 
author’s thesis. It is urged that biology is not the uni- 
versal and unique science which some of its exponents 
claim it to be; and an attempt is made to describe its 
limitations. In separate chapters of his book, M. Grasset 
considers biology in its relation to the physicochemical 
sciences, to morality, psychology, esthetics, sociology, 
mathematics, logic, metaphysics andtheology. Whether 
the reader agrees with the conclusions or not, he will 
be interested in this exposition of the views of a medical 
man who believes there are parallel lines of progress 
along which human knowledge will continue to grow, 
and that these lines cannot from the nature of things 
intersect. 
