Supplement to '^Nature" May 3, 1906 



zolts taken from large oocysts in the stomach that I 

 he got (two) successful results. I 



In discussing the aetiology of sleeping sickness we 

 think the author scarcely puts Colonel Bruce's dis- 

 covery in its proper light. We would say that with- 

 out Castellani's observation possibly Bruce would not 

 have thought of or discovered the trypanosome, just 

 as Dutton might never have discovered the Trypano- 

 soma gambiense had it not been for Forde. But to 

 claim Castellani as the discoverer of the setiology of 

 sleeping sickness is, we consider, hardly right. 

 Further, the author appears to have some doubts as to 

 whether this trypanosome is really the cause of the 

 disease, and cites, by way of caution, the fact that 

 similar evidence could have been adduced in favour 

 of the embryo F. perstans. But to us it seems that 

 the " evidence " in favour of F. perstans was never 

 at any time on the same footing as that of Trypano- 

 soma gambiense, and, as a matter of fact, collapsed 

 immediately the hypothesis was tested by facts. 



We cannot here discuss the evidence in favour of 

 regarding T. gambiense as the cause of sleeping sick- 

 ness, but it is supplied by a body of epidemiological, 

 pathological, and experimental evidence surelv con- 

 clusive. 



Finally, the author suggests (p. 124) that, in the 

 case of T. gambiense, the negro of the endemic areas 

 of this parasite has acquired an immunity similar to 

 that of antelopes in regard to T. brucei. But, so far 

 as we are aware, there is not the slightest evidence 

 of this, and, in fact, the evidence is to the contrary, 

 viz. that where a negro has T. gambiense in his blood 

 he will surely die sooner or later (of sleeping sickness). 



We consider that for the medical man the most 

 valuable portions of the book are those dealing with 

 the diagnosis and treatment of tropical fevers, and 

 these should be taken to heart, for it is not un- 

 common, for example, for a patient to die of liver 

 abscess who has been treated throughout for " fever "; 

 but fever is not always malarial, as is too often sup- 

 posed. 



The book has numerous illustrations in the text, 

 but, with some exceptions, these are not entirely 

 successful. We would heartily recommend those who 

 wish for a series of stimulating, unconventional 

 lectures to peruse this book. J. W. W. Stephens. 



PROGRESSIVE TEACHING IN PHYSIOLOGY. 



Recent Advances in Physiology and Biochemistry. 

 Edited by Leonard Hill, M.B., F.R.S. Pp. xix + 

 740. (London : E. Arnold, 1906.) Price iSs. net. 



THE rapid advances that physiology is making are 

 reflected not only in the journals that deal with 

 research, but also in the vigour with which the 

 teachers of the subject are applying themselves to their 

 duties in relation to their students. At several centres 

 in London there are every year now given courses of 

 advanced lectures, open free to all the students of the 

 London medical schools, in which they may hear from 

 the lips of the investigators themselves the result of 

 their research, and witness the most important of their 

 experiments. 



The book now before us is a corresponding expres- 

 NO. 1905, VOL. 74] 



sion of this teaching energy, and one can only hope 

 that authors and publishers alike may find their ven- 

 ture a success. Students have not the time for hunting 

 up original papers, but they ought readily to imbibe 

 a summary of recent research when it is presented to 

 them in an attractive way. 



The collaborators deal with subjects on which each 

 is competent to speak, because they have themselves 

 worked at those they write about. Thus the editor, 

 Mr. Leonard Hill, treats of the subjects of respiration 

 and' fat-metabolism. Dr. J. J. R. Macleod gives a 

 summary of recent work in connection with carbo- 

 hvdrate metabolism, uric acid formation, and the 

 immunitv question. Another aspect of the respiratory 

 process is dealt with by Dr. Pembrey, who also writes 

 on internal secretions ; and some interesting chapters 

 on Ivmph production, absorption, and excretion by 

 Dr. Beddard follow next. 



All the subjects are treated in a lucid manner, and 

 will give to advanced students a clear idea of the 

 present position reached by physiologists on many of 

 the thorny problems that beset the path of the original 

 worker. 



The opening articles of the volume, which are from 

 the pen of Prof. B. Moore, come into a somewhat 

 different categorv. He deals with the applications of 

 physical chemistry to physiological phenomena, 

 especially in connection with secretion, and the action 

 of enzymes. He gives the latest views and results 

 on this most important subject, and teachers and 

 students alike owe him a debt of gratitude for his 

 able treatment of these somewhat obscure questions. 

 Those parts which relate to the rules and formulae 

 which regulate the processes of reaction-velocity and 

 the like will be found rather difficult to many, for 

 phvsiologists and medical students are, as a rule, 

 rather rusty in their mathematics. But Prof. Moore's 

 articles are not mere abstracts of the work of himself 

 and others, for he has chosen them as the vehicle for 

 the promulgation of a new doctrine, of which the 

 keynote is struck in the opening chapter. The main 

 object of his succeeding chapters is to convince the 

 reader that this new conception is right, and will 

 explain much that has hitherto been puzzling. The 

 cell is treated as a transformer of energy, but the 

 new energy produced, which is characteristic of living 

 structures, cannot be brought into line with the known 

 forms of energy in the inorganic world. It differs 

 from heat and electricity, for instance, as much as, or 

 more than, heat and electricity differ from each other, 

 and he dubs it " biotic energy." Biotic energy is 

 not, however, the old vitalistic principle revived under 

 a new name, for it obeys the law of conservation of 

 energy, and its investigation is capable of numerical 

 and exact treatment just as that of heat and electricity 

 is. A review is not the place to enter into any detailed 

 criticism of such a view. The idea will serve to 

 stimulate others to renewed research, and one foresees 

 it will meet with considerable opposition in the future. 

 Any doctrine which involves controversy is to be wel- 

 comed, and finality in the discovery of truth is brought 

 nearer as the workers are provided with new theories 

 as a basis of work. W. D. H. 



