November 5, 1908] 



NA TURE 



has not met with ap.\' serious measure of success. It 

 would appear tliat wind-motors have not yet been 

 subjected to mucli scientific study. As regards the 

 old type of windmill with four sails, as is usually seen 

 in the eastern counties of England, the rules given 

 by Smeaton in the year 1759, as the result of experi- 

 ments, embody the chief data available. 



The modern or " American " windmill forms the 

 subject of the last two chapters. Many interesting 

 constructional details are given, as well as particulars 

 of tests on the power developed and the cost thereof 

 when applied to different industrial purposes. These 

 chapters can be recommended to those who desire 

 to acquaint themselves with this somewhat out-of-the- 

 ordinary branch of modern mechanics. C. C. G. 



Functional Nerve Diseases. By A. T. Schofield. 

 Pp. iv + 324. (London : Methuen and Co., n.d.) 

 Price 7^. 6d. net. 



DURING recent years Dr. Schofield has written 

 many books on different forms of nervous dis- 

 order, but the present volume is one of the most 

 interesting. Here he deals with the so-called 

 " functional " nerve diseases. This term " func- 

 tional," although open to many objections, is a useful 

 one, for by it we can convey that the ailment in 

 question belongs to that class of disease which is 

 independent of gross morbid anatomy changes. The 

 author states it thus : — " that organic changes exist 

 when life has passed but functional changes have 

 then all disappeared." Later, he goes on to say 

 that " disease, an fond, has always a material basis, 

 whether recognisable or not, and ' functional ' and 

 ' organic ' are but expressions of our ignorance that 

 will one day be superfluous." The " Psychology of 

 the Brain " is the subject-matter of one of the open- 

 ing chapters. Dr. Schofield does not attempt to go 

 deeply into any psychological problems ; in truth, he 

 deals with this subject almost too widely to be entirely 

 helpful to the reader. He divides the brain into three 

 main divisions :• — (i) The cortex, as the seat of the 

 spirit or directing intelligence; (2) the mid-brain, the 

 seat of the soul or the mere active animal life ; (3) the 

 lower-brain, which is the seat of the body or the 

 mere physical existence. The author definitely states 

 that he writes this book from the dualist standpoint ; 

 " that is, in the belief that mind is not the product of 

 matter, but distinct from it, and that life is mind in 

 action." He urges upon the student to get rid of the 

 idea that consciousness is mind or that it is the only 

 proof of mind. " Mind," he writes, " may be con- 

 scious, subconscious, or unconscious." But he only 

 uses these terms provisionally until it is possible for 

 the student to understand that mind means all mind, 

 and not only that part of it which we choose to call 

 consciousness. When discussing the general setiology 

 of functional nerve diseases Dr. Schofield writes : — 



" In functional disease the underlying change is often 

 in the association of cells rather than their structure, 

 for w'c must remember that the association of neurons 

 is not organic but functional." 



He deals with the varied recognised factors in the 

 causation of this class of disorder, and among these 

 he mentions the influence of " suggestion." This, 

 he says, may be from oneself (auto-suggestion) or 

 from others, but the former is the more frequent. 

 When treating with the causes of hysteria, the author 

 recites the various views held by recognised writers. 

 He regards " heredity " as the principal and general 

 predisposing cause of neurasthenia, a prominent 

 factor being alcoholism in the ancestry of the patient. 

 The author gives a useful chapter on the symptoms 

 of neurasthenia, but he adds nothing new to the sub- 

 ject. When dealing with " psychotherapy " the 

 various objections to it in this country are referred 

 to, and Dr. Schofield evidently deplores that the 

 influence of the mind over the body is not more fully 

 taught to students at the hospital. He denies that 

 " suggestibility" is a symptom of hysteria, as taught 

 by Charcot, and points out that it is often easiest in 

 the sound and the sane, more difficult in the neuras- 

 thenic or hysteric, and almost impossible in the 

 insane. We do not agree with the views that he 

 expresses on the importance of massage in all cases, 

 for we are convinced that this treatment is very 

 harmful to some patients as merely increasing the 

 nervo-muscular irritability. Taken as a whole, the 

 book is well written and full of useful information, 

 and it will be found to contain many suggestions 

 which will prove of value to the thoughtful student. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Trout Waters: Management and Angling. By 

 Wilson H. Armistead. Pp. x + 203. (London: 

 Adam and Charles Black, 1908.) Price 34-. bd. net. 

 This is a pleasantly discursive little book, which is 

 obviously based upon considerable personal observa- 

 tion and experience on the part of the author. We 

 doubt, however, whether Mr. Armistead was alto- 

 gether wise in avoiding all books of reference, as 

 he states himself to have done; a book of reference 

 would have prevented the same mollusc from figuring 

 as " Limnaeus peregra" and " Limnea " in consecu- 

 tive paragraphs. 



The advice given as to improving and protecting 

 trout in various waters is on the whole sound and 

 sensible ; the suggestions that minnows introduced to 

 feed large trout may seriously compete with smaller 

 trout for the available food supply, and that eels are 

 dangerous enemies of the ova and fry of trout and 

 may do more harm than pike or perch, are fair 

 examples of the many practical matters touched upon. 

 It is a pity that no directions are given as to simple 

 and inexpensive forms of hatching apparatus, such 

 as Herr Jaffa's " floating redd," w-hich would seem 

 well suited for use in many such w'aters as are con- 

 sidered in the work now under consideration. 



It is when Mr. Armistead touches upon the natural 

 history of the Salmonidje that the lack of books of 

 reference is most apparent. The statement that " fry 

 hatched from eggs taken from wild parents are, 

 though strong and healthy, difficult to rear on account 

 of their inherited wildness " is somewhat startling. 

 A chapter is devoted to the consideration of the ques- 

 tion whether the presence of trout in a salmon river 

 is or is not a disadvantage, and the question is 

 treated in a thoughtful manner; it is, however, a 

 little surprising to learn, not only that migratory 



SO. 2036, VOL. 79] 



