140 



NATURE 



[August 3, 191 1 



from France in the fifteenth century. History always 

 repeats itself in similar cases. But Japan will have 

 done her work well, and the notes made by Nishi 

 Tokujiro in his journey twenty-five vears ago would 

 have shown us then, had we had ears to hear or eyes 

 to see, that already Japan was studying the huge 

 continent at her door, and weighing the possibilities 

 that might come forth from it in the fulness of time. 



It remains only to say that the book is "bound" 

 only in paper covers, and falls to pieces directly it is 

 cut. We presume that Italians send their books to 

 the binders before they read them. L4.50 seems a 

 high price for a book of 300 pages that has no bind- 

 ing and no illustrations, tinlike the French, the 

 Italians understand the value of an index, and this 

 book has a good one. 



I I CI INI'S HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY. 

 Human Physiology. By Pro* L. Luciani. Trans- 

 lated by Frances A. Welby. Edited by Dr. M. 

 Camis. With a preface by Prof. J. N. Langley, 

 F.R.S. In. two vols. Vol i., Circulation and 

 Respiration. Pp. xiv + 592. (London: Macmillan 

 and Co., Ltd., 1911.) Price j8s. net. 

 * I ""HE rapid progress in the science of physiology 

 -*■ makes it increasingly difficult for any single 

 individual to give a comparatively complete presenta- 

 tion of the whole subject. In consequence of this 

 fact, the larger text-books are usually written by 

 several authors. While there are many advantages 

 in this method, a loss of unity in the treatment of the 

 subject inevitably results. Luciani's work gives a 

 more detailed account of the subject than the majority 

 of text-books of single authorship, and thus occupies 

 a place intermediate between the larger works and 

 those of moderate size. 



The arduous labour of translation has been carried 

 out very efficiently, the English version being clear, 

 accurate, and eminently readable. The translator has 

 also had the advantage of the assistance and advice 

 of Dr. Aders-Plimmer on chemical subjects, and of 

 Mr. W. I.. Symes on many technical difficulties. 

 The references to the literature of the subject ap- 

 pended to the various sections of the work, form a 

 very useful feature. The editor. Dr. M. Camis, has 

 rendered these more complete by the addition of the 

 >' ,lif,f recent English and American physiological 

 papers. These references will undoubtedly offer valu- 

 able guidance to senioi students of physiology desirous 

 of extending their knowledge of physiology beyond 

 the- limits of their text-books. 



The present volume, which extends to 600 pages, 

 deals with the general physiology of living matter, 

 the physiology of blood, the circulation, respiration, 

 .mil lymph. 



The introduction gives a brief but masterly account 

 of the general objects and domain of physiology. The 

 first three chapters deal with the structural features, 

 the chemical and physical basjs of living matter, its 

 fundamental properties, and the conditions by which 

 it is influenced. The third chapter closes with an 

 interesting account of the hypotheses of Pfliiger, 

 Hering, and Verworn regarding the nature of 

 NO. 2179, VOL. 8/] 



the processes which take place in living sub- 

 stance. 



The fourth chapter deals with the formed con- 

 stituents of blood. The historical development of the 

 subject is excellently epitomised. The general 

 physico-chemical characters of the blood as a whole 

 are next described. A brief account of the methods 

 used in determining the rate of coagulation might 

 have been added with advantage. The morphological 

 elements of blood are then described. The plate 

 showing absorption spectra is somewhat diagram- 

 matic, methaemoglobin and acid fiEematin being re- 

 presented as having identical spectra. 



An excellent account of the chemical and physical 

 properties of blood plasma, and of the theories of 

 its coagulation, forms the main subject-matter of 

 chapter v. The chapter concludes with an account 

 of the effects of bleeding, transfusion, and the bac- 

 tericidal and immunising properties of blood. 



An exceptionally detailed account of the historical 

 development of our knowledge of the circulation of 

 the blood is given in chapter vi. The author ascribes 

 the discovery of the true course of the circulation to 

 Cesalpinus rather than to Harvey, differing in this 

 respect from the large majority of physiologists. In 

 the preface to this volume, Prof. Langley has given 

 the chief reasons for critical caution in studying 

 Prof. Luciani's views on this subject. 



The mechanics of the heart and blopd flow are fully 

 discussed in chapters vii. and viii. The discussion 

 of the myogenic and neurogenic theories of cardiac 

 rhythm given in chapter ix. offers an excellent 

 example of the author's skill and impartiality in pre- 

 senting the evidence for and against rival views. The 

 account given embodies the most recent work on 

 the subject, including that of Carlson on Limulus 

 polyphemus. 



Chapter x. provides an excellent account of the 

 vaso-motor nervous mechanism. Chapter xi. is 

 devoted to the chemistry and physics oi respiratory 

 exchanges. A most interesting review of the historical 

 development of the subject is given, both from the 

 chemical and physiological points of view. A de- 

 scription of Haldane's method for determining the 

 oxygen capacity of blood might have been appended 

 ti the account of the methods for the extraction of 

 the gases of tile blood. 



The nervous and chemical control of respiratory 

 rhythm form the subject-matter of chapter xiii. Some 

 interesting recent observations l>v Italian workers, 

 throwing new light on the mode of production of 

 certain forms oi polypncea in muscular work, are re- 

 corded. \ somewhat fuller discussion of recent views 

 on the chemical regulation of respiration would have 

 then welcome. 



The present volume concludes with an excellent 

 account of tin' physiology of lymph ami lymphatic 

 organs. 



The book is singularly free from errors; yet in a 

 text-book ol this extent minor errata inevitably occur. 

 I he following may be mentioned with the view of 

 aiding to some extent in the preparation of a table 

 • it errata. On p. 25 "cornea" is used instead of 

 "stratum corneum " ; on p. 109 "carbon bisulphide" 



