Sufyplement to ''Nature'' October 19, 1905 



classitving, or as it might be plirased of, " lexicon- 

 ising," finger-prints is developed, the more ^v'^dc will 

 their use become. Thej- ought to be especially valu- 

 able in checking desertions from the Arrny and Navy. 

 Rut there may be moral objections to the u.se of finger- 

 prints in these cases for, according- to the present 

 system of recruiting, many take refuge in the Army 

 who are " wanted "' by the police, and would strongly 

 i-bjfct to being finger-printed. 



k few words should be added concerning the ancient 

 usage of finger-prints in China, Japan, and India for 

 legal purposes. Good evidence as to this has at length 

 been supplied by Minakata Kumagusu in two letters 

 to Natire, vol. li., pp. iqg and 274. It is clear that 

 it ic'ijs used to some extent, but there is nothing as 

 yet to show that the impressions were made and 

 scrutinised with anything like the precautions now 

 considered to be essential to the good working of the 

 system. Blurred finger-prints cannot be correctly 

 deciphered except by a trained expert, using lenses 

 :iid photographic magnification. Negative evidence 

 i> often of conspicuous value, such as should leave no 

 reasonable doubt in the mind of the most stupid jury- 

 man ; but expert analysis and severe cross-examination 

 are required when the prints to be compared are 

 generically alike and when one of them is imperfect 

 or blurred. F. G. 



EDLCATIOX ASD PHYSIQUE'. 

 Mccaiiisinc et Education dcs Moiivcmcnls. ' By Prof, 

 •jeorges Demeny. Pp. ii + 52J ; 565 figures. 

 (Paris: Felix Alcan-, 1904.) Price 9 francs. 



THERE are few more important or more oppor- 

 tune considerations in connection with practical 

 hvgiene than those which are furnished by the subject- 

 matter of the two books written by M. Demeny. The 

 first of these books, a second edition of which 

 .ippeared in 1903, is entitled " Les Bases scientifiques 

 de I'Education physique"; this is now supplemented 

 and given a direct practical bearing by the present 

 work, which sets forth in some detail the technical 

 aspects of the subject. ."Vs regards its general 

 character the method of treatment remains distinctly 

 ~iientific; but since the avowed aim of the author is 

 1 1 . set forth the real advantages to be derived from 

 bi>dilv exercises conducted along proper 'lines, the 

 ^cope of this later book is eminently educational, and 

 thus it appeals to all those who take a broad view of 

 education and its requirements. This appeal is 

 accentuated bv the mode of presentation, ' which is 

 .such as to render the extensive subject-matter intelli- 

 gible to those who make no pretensions to special 

 phvsiological knowledge. 



It is true that the opening chapter deals of necessity 

 with such physiological questions as the structure and 

 functio'ns of muscle, the mechanism of joints, and 

 the capacity for movement which are allowed by the 

 skeletal articulations ; but these and other funda- 

 inrntal points of like nature are treated in a manner 

 which, whilst in strict accord with the present state 

 c'l scientific knowledge, is of such a character as to 

 render these various topics easy of comprehension. 

 NO. 1877, VOL. 72 



This introduction leads up to a most interesting 

 analysis of the part played by the muscles in pro- 

 ducing various well known body movements. In this 

 stress is laid upon the comparatively modern discovery 

 that anv movement, for instance the flexion of a 

 limb, is produced not only by the pulling force of 

 those muscles which move it in the desired sense, the 

 flexors, but also by the relaxation of those wliich 

 oppose this movement, the extensors. It is this two- 

 fold muscular mechanism which permits of the move- 

 ment being graduated so finely as regards both its 

 extent and its force. .Some illustrations of a striking 

 character are given in support of this aspect of a 

 volitional or secondary automatic movement. 



For the majority of readers, the great interest of 

 the book will probably lie in the interesting account 

 which it gives of various familiar movements. These 

 are all accompanied by numerous illustrations which 

 are excellent for their purpose, and greatly enhance 

 the attractiveness of the text. Many of these are 

 spirited diagrammatic representations of the skeleton, 

 the form of which in all manner of bodily postures 

 is drawn with that piquancy and verve which con- 

 stitute to English eyes the special charm of French 

 draughtsmanship ; humour cannot be expected in a 

 letterpress which deals with subject-matter so technical 

 and serious, but it is supplied by the illustrations, 

 which give a humorous fillip to the work without 

 detracting in the least from their undoubted service 

 in helping the reader to follow the exposition. 



The section which deals with the various forms of 

 locomotion, walking,, running, jumping, &:c., is 

 perhaps the most elaborate. The author is here on 

 ground which he has studied minutely for many 

 years. As chief of the laboratory at the physiological 

 station in the College de France, he is able to set 

 forth with authority the results of the elaborate and 

 prolonged investigations initiated by Prof. Marey and 

 carried on under his inspiring influence.. It is prob- 

 able that the summary of these investigations given 

 bv ^I. Demeny is the most valuable short exposition 

 of tfiis really difficult subject vvliich has been published 

 up to the present time. The lucidity of the author's 

 style and treatment is conspicuous in this portion of 

 the book, for the matter dealt with is not easily set 

 forth in a way which admits of fjeing readily under- 

 stood, since it involves mathem.atical considerations 

 which are apt to prove a stumbling block to physio- 

 logical students. 



But, as stated before, the description of the factors 

 concerned i^n the production of familiar postures of 

 the bod}' and the side-issues which these raise, will 

 for most readers probably prove the most attractive 

 portion of the work. From Stanaing, sitting, and 

 lying down, the author proceeds to carrying loads, 

 vaulting, kicking, throwing, swimming, rowing, 

 cvcling, horse-riding, dancing, singing! fencing, 

 boxing, wrestling, and all the various bodily move- 

 ments which are concerned in the various forms ot 

 athletic or industrial exercise. It v^-ould be impossible 

 to give any detailed account of his treatment of these 

 subjects, but it mav be confidently stated that this 

 treatment, whilst scientifically sound, is rendered 



