NA TURE 



157 



THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1913. 



A TEXT-BOOK OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY. 

 Physiologic dcs Menschen. By Prof. Luigi 



Luciani. Ins Deutsche tibertragen unci bear- 



beitet von Prof. S. Baglioni unci Dr. H. 



Winterstein, mit einer Einfuhrung von Prof. M. 



Verworn. Lieferung elfte-fiinfzehnte. Pp. 



1-782 + viii. (Jena: Gustav Fischer, 1908-1911.) 



Price 4 marks each. 



THE present five parts complete the German 

 version of Luciani 's "Text-book of Human 

 Physiology." The first part opens with the 

 general physiology of sensation, giving a brief but 

 adequate critical review of Johannes Muller's doc- 

 trine of specific nerve energies, and of Weber and 

 Fechner's psycho-physical law governing the 

 quantitative relationship between stimulus and 

 sensation. The greater part of the fifty-one pages 

 composing the first chapter is devoted to cutaneous 

 sensations. The second chapter, occupying more 

 than sixty pages, deals with internal and visceral 

 sensations. While the exposition is full of detail 

 and interest, it would have gained in clearness by 

 a more thorough account of the classification of 

 cutaneous and deep sensations suggested by Head 

 and Rivers. The second chapter closes with an 

 excellent account of the labyrinthine sensation?. 



The sense of taste forms the subject-matter of 

 the third chapter, and occupies more than thirty 

 pages. The survey given is exceptionally interest- 

 ing and complete, and is well illustrated by plates. 

 The fourth chapter is devoted to the sense of smell, 

 and is prefaced by a brief description of the struc- 

 tural features of the organ of smell. The very large 

 number of qualitative variations in odours renders 

 the classification of olfactory sensations an almost 

 impossible task. The author gives a very interest- 

 ing and critical account of the classifications at- 

 tempted by Linne and Zwaardemaker. 



Nearly eighty pages are given up to the sense of 

 hearing, which occupies the fifth chapter. It is 

 impossible in a brief review to do justice to the 

 excellence of the account given. The two follow- 

 ing errors may be noted with a view to their cor- 

 rection in future editions. On p. 208 the word 

 "perilymph" is used instead of "endolymph." 

 Some confusion has also arisen in the discussion 

 of the theory of hearing suggested by Helmholtz. 

 In consequence, the first two sentences of the final 

 paragraph of p. 229 require to be re-written. 

 Fortunately, since the two sentences are obviously 

 contradictory, there is little risk of the reader 

 being led astray. 



The sixth chapter deals fully with the dioptric 

 mechanisms of the eye; while chapter vii. is 

 devoted to the study of the structural features and 

 NO. 2 268. VOL. 9l] 



properties of the retina, and the retinal changes 

 concerned with vision. The description of the 

 electromotive changes occurring in the retina as 

 the result of exposure to light does not include 

 the more recent results obtained by the use of the 

 string galvanometer. 



Chapter viii. contains an extremely lucid 

 account of the movements of the eyeballs, of 

 binocular vision, and of visual perceptions and 

 judgments. It closes with the description of the pro- 

 tective and secretory mechanisms of the eyeball. 



General metabolism forms the subject-matter 

 ol chapter ix. The historical development of 

 tiie subject is fully discussed. A necessarily- 

 brief but clear account is given of the methods 

 employed for the estimation of the intake of 

 foodstuffs and oxygen, and the output of solid; 

 and gaseous waste products. Chapter x. is 

 devoted to the discussion of the regulation and 

 measurement of heat production in the organism ;■ 

 while chapter xi. deals with the various 

 theories of nutrition, and the experimental and 

 statistical evidence upon which they are based. 

 Chapters xii. and xiii. are given up to the 

 physiology of reproduction. An excellent survey 

 of the physiology of pregnancy, parturition, and 

 lactation is given in chapter xiv. 



The subjects of development, growth, 

 maturity, and senile decay occupy the fifteen!] 

 chapter. The two latter subjects receive a much 

 more detailed treatment than is usual in text- 

 books of physiology, and the whole chapter is one 

 of exceptional interest. 



The wide view of the scope of physiology held 

 by the author is well illustrated by the final 

 chapter, which is anthropological in nature, deal- 

 ing with the characteristics of the various races 

 of mankind from the physiological point of view. 

 It has been contributed by Prof. S. Baglioni. 



Clearly no pains have been spared to make 

 this text-book adequate for the needs of senior 

 students of physiology, and Prof. Luciani may 

 well be congratulated on the completion of a text- 

 book which may fairly be described as a colossal 

 task for one writer. The work is well and pro- 

 fusely illustrated and clearly printed. 



TYPICAL AMMONITES. 

 Yorkshire Type Ammonites. Parts i-viii. Edited 

 by S. S. Buckman. The original descriptions 

 reprinted, and illustrated by figures of the types, 

 reproduced from photographs mainly by J. W. 

 Tutcher. (London : William Wesley and Son, 

 1909-1912.) Price 3s. 6d. net per part, post free. 



WITH the issue of the eighth part of Mr. S. 

 S. Buckman's "Yorkshire Type Ammon- 

 ites " the first volume of this important work is 



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