August 30, 1906] 



NA TURK 



441 



lc> emphasise his point, is apt at times to state his 

 case too strongly. 



\Vc cannot by taking- tliought dispel disease; the 

 inlluence of the patient's mind over his body is 

 powerful, but is it "almost all-powerful"? The 

 lonsumptive patient is usually full of hopefulness to 

 tho last, but unless other means are taken to promote 

 recovery his light-heartedness is of little avail. The 

 writer later greatly modifies his original statement 

 regarding the influence of mind over body by stating 

 (p. 29) that "there are many diseases not cured by 

 I he mind alone"; in fact, he might add that quite 

 frw maladies can be so treated. Nevertheless, we 

 .igrec with the statement that " in every case of 

 disease the condition of the mind is an important 

 fru'tor. " 



We cannot concur with the writer's distinction 

 between "madness" and "hysteria" (p. 21). 

 Hysteria is a disease with definite physical symptoms, 

 and, in addition, the patient exhibits some mental 

 aberration. Now if this mental disturbance becomes 

 more marked, the patient is usually considered to have 

 passed from the realm of physical disease into a state 

 commonly spoken of as " madness," and yet the 

 disease is the same in both cases, only in one instance 

 the physical symptoms are the more prominent and in 

 the other the psychical. Dr. Schofield writes that " a 

 person whose conscious mind is unsound is suffering 

 from madness : one whose unconscious mind alone 

 lias gone astray suffers from neuromimesis or 

 hysteria; and the distinction is good." Now a few 

 pages previously the writer tells us that " there is but 

 one mind." Clearly, then, the mind is either sound 

 or unsound, for the whole cannot be what a part of 

 it is not. Further, we are told that " the recovery of 

 ihe patient from disease depends more upon the 

 efficiency of the vis mcdicatrix naturae, in other 

 words, unconscious mind, than upon any other agent." 

 Therefore it would appear that in hysteria the 

 apparatus which is all-powerful in cure is itself 

 diseased; thus if this statement is true it is a 

 factor which must greatly influence the prospect of 

 recovery. 



Dr. Schofield speaks in no uncertain manner con- 

 cerning the tendency of some persons of the present 

 day to mix up a " very exaggerated psycho-therapy 

 with a pseudo-Christianity." We entirely agree with 

 liis remarks, and consider that he has stated the 

 case none too strongly. In the chapter entitled " Tlie 

 Diagnosis," we would specially commend to the 

 student the advice the writer gives of the " import- 

 ance of cultivating tact." There is probably no 

 attribute of greater value to a physician, and no oppor- 

 tunity should be lost for developing it. The writer 

 makes some very sound remarks concerning the 

 personality of the "doctor." Some persons may 

 consider that too much detail is given, and that some 

 advice is almost too trivial to be recorded ; but with 

 this view we should disagree, for undoubtedly the 

 strength of this book lies in the attention which is 

 bestowed on detail. 



This book supplies a want, and certainly deserves 

 a place on the bookshelf of the young physician. 

 NO. 1922, VOL. 74] 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 

 Traiti d' Exploitation cominerciale des Bois. By A. 



Mathey. Tome i. Pp. xviii-l-48S. (Paris: Lucicn 



Lavens, 1906.) Price 15 francs. 

 This volume will rank high among the many excel- 

 lent Continental books which deal with forest utilisa- 

 lion. The author gives a great amount of important 

 and practical information concerning the commercial 

 exploitation of timber from every possible point of 

 view. The work is profusely illustrated by well 

 drawn and excellently reproduced figures, numbering 

 no fewer than 377, and to these must be added eight 

 beautiful chromo-lithographic plates. The volume is 

 divided into five parts. 



Part i. deals with the general properties of wood. 

 The anatomical features are also described. The 

 macroscopic characteristics of the various home and 

 exotic deciduous and coniferous species are gone into, 

 and the diagnostic features are brought out very 

 clearly by an excellent series of figures, which show 

 specimen blocks of the various woods cut in trans- 

 verse and longitudinal sections. The numerous 

 chemical and physical properties of timber are treated 

 in detail. This part finishes with an excellent account 

 of the effect of soil and climate on the growth and 

 texture of the wood. 



Part ii. deals principally with defects in timber, 

 such as abnormality of growth, knots and wounds of 

 all kinds, which may be caused by physical agencies. 

 The different kinds of rot arising from the attack of 

 fungi are exhaustively dealt with. This part is 

 extremely well illustrated by means of the coloured 

 plates already referred to, which should greativ facili- 

 tate the recognition of these maladies that are onh- 

 too frequently ignored in this country. The various 

 forms of white and red rot being due to specific 

 organisms greatly increases the danger of sound 

 timber being contaminated by diseased timber; hence 

 the importance of recognising those diseases in order, 

 if possible, to prevent their future occurrence and 

 spread. 



Part iii. of the work deals fully with the important 

 subject of seasoning and storing timber, and the 

 different artificial methods of rendering wood anti- 

 septic by means of immersion in, and injection with, 

 the various kinds of preservatives. The artificial 

 methods of seasoning and preserving timber are now- 

 receiving considerable attention as the price of wood 

 increases and the supply diminishes, so that this part 

 of the book should be of the greatest interest to all 

 concerned in the production and use of wood. 



In part iv. the felling and conversion of timber is 

 adequately considered. The different instruments used 

 are also fully described and figured. In the last part 

 is given an exhaustive account of almost every possible 

 means of timber carriage and transport. On the 

 whole, the author is to be congratulated on the pro- 

 duction of this excellent work. 

 Illustrations of British Blood-sucking Flies. With 



Notes by Ernest Edward .Austen, .Assistant, Depart- 

 ment of Zoology, British Museum (N.H.). Pp. 74; 



34 plates. (Printed by Order of the Trustees, 1906.) 



Price 255. 

 Gx.iTS and other blood-sucking flies have always been 

 a great pest in most countries, but it is onlv within 

 the last few years that their active agency in the 

 dissemination of many of the most serious diseases 

 which afflict both men and the higher animals has 

 been fully recognised. In England, however, modern 

 drainage and sanitary regulations have so far 

 diminished their numbers that whenever gnats are 

 exceptionally troublesome manv people Jump to the 

 conclusion that there has been an invasion of " mos- 



