424 



NATURE 



[February i i, 1909 



muscularly, but even if it had been, it would not neces- 

 sarily have supported his claim. 



Chapters ii. and iii. deal with the principles involved 

 in vaccine therapy and with the determination of the 

 opsonic index. The author is so strong a believer in 

 the utility of the opsonic index in diagnosis, prognosis, 

 and as a guide in vaccination that a critical review of 

 the subject could not be expected of him, and we do 

 not get it. 



The chapters on the methods of obtaining pure 

 cultures of infecting micro-organisms and on the pre- 

 paration of their corresponding vaccines are well 

 executed. Some micro-organisms, however, like the 

 bacillus of Friedliinder and the BciciUiis septus, receive 

 more attention and consideration than is consistent 

 with our present knowledge as to the rdic played by 

 them in disease. 



Naturally a large amount of space is devoted to in- 

 fections caused by the tubercle bacillus. As a result 

 of his own experience the author recommends a mix- 

 ture of human and bovine tuberculins. The dosage 

 apparently differs enormously according to the guides 

 followed. These may be clinical symptoms, the 

 opsonic index, or common sense. Such multiplication 

 of immunisation syctems can only lead to confusion. 



The remaining chapters deal with the application 

 of vaccine therapy to many other forms of infection, 

 and the results that have hitherto been achieved. 



SCIENCE OUT OF SCHOOL. 

 Chambers's Wonder Books, (i) The Wonder Book of 

 Volcanoes and Earthquakes. By Prof. E. J. 

 Houston. Pp. x+369. (2) The Wonder Book 

 of the Atmosphere. By the same author. Pp. ix+ 

 326. (3) Electricity for Young People. By Tudor 

 Jenks. Pp. viii + 317. (4) Photography for Yotmg 

 People. By the same author. Pp. X + 32S. (New 

 York : Frederick A. Stokes Co. ; London and Edin- 

 burgh : W. and R. Chambers, Ltd., igoS.) Price 

 35. 6d. each. 

 •T^HE proper function of books of the typo under 

 -L review is to awaken interest in the boys to whom 

 they are addressed. This may be accomplished by 

 appealing to the boy's love of adventure or of 

 animals; or the appeal may be to the constructional 

 instinct, in which case the book should bring science 

 into direct relation with the boy's interests and en- 

 vironment, suggesting to him [X)ssibilities of experi- 

 ment upon his own account. On a higher intellectual 

 level we have to deal with the lad who has reached 

 a more mature stage of mental development and has 

 risen to the height of strictly scientific interests. He 

 now desires rcrum cognoscere causas, and seeks 

 knowledge in order to obtain intellectual control of 

 natural forces. A valuable stage in his cultuje will be 

 achieved if at this epoch we can give him an historical 

 survey of the growth of scientific discovery. In such 

 popular hi.stories it is difficult to avoid excess of 

 biography in the earlier portions, and excess of tech- 

 nicality as the present day is approached. Books 

 dealing with boys' hobbies are numerous, and (we 

 are glad to add) often enjoy success. Of the higher 

 NO. 2050, VOL. 79] 



type of book — specimens of well-written, untechnical 

 scientific literature — there is an undoubted lack to-day. 



The books with which we have now to deal are 

 diverse in character and quality, although appearing 

 in the same series. Even in a short criticism it will 

 be advisable to direct attention to the characteristics of 

 books which are likely to fulfil the function of mental 

 stimulants. 



(i) Prof. Houston describes a number of volcanic 

 eruptions and earthquakes. His theme is catastrophe, 

 and he succeeds in producing an impressive com- 

 pilation of historic disasters due to explosive eruptions 

 or to earthquakes of the first magnitude. He is very 

 precise in stating dates, and the heights — to the nearest 

 foot — of volcanic summits. Our author may be given 

 credit for picturesque descriptions, but it must be 

 regretted that he adopts the cataclysmic geology of 

 Dana. He even puts forward the abandoned theories 

 of " geological revolutions " — with their concomitant 

 exterminations of life — as though such views were 

 generallv held by geologists of the present day ! We 

 may regard the omission of this or that " important 

 branch of the subject" as no real demerit; but we 

 must condemn writings likely to implant fundament- 

 ally wrong ideas, which will provide much for youthful 

 readers to unlearn. 



(2) The subject of the second book in the series 

 affords admirable opportunities for suggesting experi- 

 ments such as would exercise the constructive instinct 

 of his readers. L'nfortunately, the opportunity is 

 utilised to an extent which is practically negligible. A 

 very wide range of topics is introduced, and the chapter 

 on the Weather Bureau of the L'nited States may be 

 commended. Many anecdotes are introduced, but they 

 do not suggest, nor would the book as a whole sug- 

 gest, any steady advance of human knowledge. Ex- 

 ception may fairly be taken to many details, and the 

 style is not calculated to promote accurate thinking. 

 The author's account of Archimedes is regrettable. 

 On such important matters as adiabatic expansion 

 and the rise of clouds he betrays an inability to grip 

 the essentials of the phenomena he sets out to explain. 



(3) Mr. Tudor Jenks tells the story of mankind's 

 acquisition of control over electricity, and in so doing 

 gives us a book full of information — probably too 

 full. The first hundred pages contain a considerable 

 amount of biographical matter relating to discoveries 

 from Lucretius to Morse. In books intended for boys 

 it is wise to introduce biography ; but this should be 

 done by selecting a few pioneers of science, telling 

 the story of their struggles and achievements with 

 just so rnuch detail as will give a vivid and realistic 

 picture of the men and their surroundings. To do this 

 requires the touch of the artist in words ; it is not 

 to be accomplished by relating long strings of events. 

 Still less is it wise to try to tell the story of scientific 

 discovery by snippets of information about a multitude 

 of minor contributors to its progress. Mr. Jenks has 

 been a painstaking student of the history of electricity, 

 and has acquired extensive knowledge ; our complaint 

 is that he has compressed too much of this knowledge 

 into a book intended for young people. In the latter 

 half of the work he shows remarkable skill in con- 



