



















APRIL 14, 1923] 
educated layman. The pedigree plates maintain the 
very high standard of achievement set by former 
publications of the Galton Laboratory. With the 
exception of glioma retine—a rare and malignant 
disease—few of the conditions here dealt with threaten 
life, while nearly all of them so greatly interfere with 
the comfort of existence—in some cases making it 
impossible for the victim to follow his profession— 
_ that their recognition is frequent. It would therefore 
be expected that a large amount of genealogical 
material should be available. Such is the case, but 
the absolute frequency of the diseases is small, and in 
_ many instances, such as that of the classical Nougaret 
family, victims are by no means anxious to reveal 
heir disability to strangers. 
| Itis particularly appropriate that the volume should 
_be dedicated to the memory of Nettleship, for a large 
share of the material relating to retinitis pigmentosa 
_and the lion’s share of the data of congenital stationary 
-night-blindness are the product of his own researches. 
_ “The Treasury ” is planned to be a storehouse of 
facts, so that no complete analysis of the data is at- 
tempted ; but certain interesting points are made. 
Attention is specially directed to two : (1) the presence 
of other defects in the family histories, (2) the etiological 
importance of consanguinity. As to (1), it would seem 
that each of these defects tends to occur largely as a 
e defect, but that if retinitis pigmentosa is associ- 
ated with deafness in the stock the link is a close one. 
With respect to (2), consanguineous marriages are far 
more common in the diseased stocks than in the 
general population, save in the case of that form of 
_ congenital stationary night-blindness which is limited 
to males. In only one case, however, does the pro- 
portion of affected offspring of consanguineous mar- 
Tiages seem to exceed materially that found among the 
offspring of non-consanguineous marriages, a result 
differing from what has been observed in the records 
of deaf-mutism and albinism. 
_ The very rare and usually fatal anomaly, glioma 
retin, scarcely lends itself to statistical treatment. 
_ However, in view of its absolute rarity—it is estimated 
‘not to furnish more than 0-03 per cent. of all patients 
_ suffering from diseases of the eye—the fact that it has 
been possible to compile thirty-six histories showing 
more than one case in a stock is strong evidence that 
_ this, too, is an hereditary defect. 
In a prefatory note, Prof. Karl Pearson thanks the 
_ Medical Research Council for a grant in aid of the work, 
and expresses a “hope that the work as completed 
will be considered to have justified their support.” 
The scientific public will have no doubt on that score ; 
there could be few objects more worthy of national sup- 
port than the preparation of scholarly and impartial 
NO. 2789, VOL. 111] 



















. 
S10 
NATURE 
pS i Sp a a a a a 
493 
records of the facts of human inheritance. Dr. Bell 
has, in our opinion, produced a thoroughly satisfactory 
monograph, which will at once take rank as a standard 
work while being—a quality by no means to be pre- 
dicated of all standard works—adequate from both 
the literary and the artistic points of view. 

Chemical and Physical Tables. 
Tables annuelles de constantes et données numériques 
de chimie, de physique et de technologie. Vol. IV.: 
Années 1913-1914-1915-1916. Premiére partie. 
Pp. xxxii+626. Deuxiéme partie. Pp. xxxv +627- 
1377. (Paris: Gauthier-Villars et Cie.; London: 
Cambridge University Press; Chicago: University 
of Chicago Press, 1921-1922.) 2 parts, 7/. 
OR reasons which are not very clear, the earlier 
volumes of the ‘‘ Tables annuelles” have not 
been fully used in this country ; but a cursory inspection 
of Volume IV. will give the physico-chemical doubter 
cause to think, while an hour’s serious use of it will 
convert him completely. Which of us can lay his hand 
on his heart and say that he has missed nothing 
essential to his subjects of research ? Let him open 
these volumes and—unless he has already consulted 
them—he will be humbled. Landolt - Bornstein 
carries us up to the end of 1911; from that time 
onwards, no indexes or abstracts, however complete of 
their kind, afford a sufficient guide to the seeker after 
data, who must nowadays add to his scientific equip- 
ment the faculties of a British Museum historian and 
the time in which to exercise them. 
There are here recorded the classified, clearly indexed 
data amassed during four years from 340 periodicals 
and other sources by 32 abstractors in 19 countries, 
collated by 27 well-known compilers who are specialists, 
and edited by Dr. Charles Marie (to whose devotion 
and enthusiasm the “ Tables annuelles ” so largely owes 
its existence and its success). The general control is 
vested in an executive of eight eminent physical 
chemists from a powerful international committee 
representing 23 nations. 
It is obvious that to neglect the output of such an 
organisation as this would be sheer waste. In the 
writer’s opinion (formed in spite of a hitherto some- 
what inert attitude towards the earlier volumes) there is 
no library of physics and chemistry, pure or applied, 
which can now afford to be without this publication. 
The price seems high at first sight ; but it is an invest- 
ment which will repay itself many times, even before 
the next volume appears. 
In the plan of the work much has, naturally, been 
gained from Landolt-Bornstein, but the scope is con- 
siderably wider and at the same time more detailed. 
Rei 
