Supplement to "-Nature" October 19, 1905 



and — a feature that one would have expected in every 

 volume — maps are provided to indicate generic dis- 

 tribution. 



The main purpose of the " Pflanzenreich." as con- 

 trasted with the " Pflanzenfamilien," is to provide 

 an authentic description of species, and criticism 

 of this work has largely to deal with considerations 

 that are best known to the learned authors who have 

 undertaken to write on the different orders. One of 

 the main difficulties consists in reconciling the diverse 

 views held by different writers who have made a 

 special study of the same orders and groups. The 

 discussion of certain forms under Betiila papyrijcra 

 furnishes an instance in which Dr. Winkler holds 

 different views from Prof. C. S. Sargent; without 

 attempting to judge between the two opinions, it 

 would seem that Prof. .Sargent has had better oppor- 

 tunities of studying these forms, but it should be 

 added that in this case the writer has fullv stated 

 both views : the ideal solution in such a case would 

 be a collaboration of both authorities, if such a 

 collaboration were practicable. It is from this point 

 of view that one could have wished to see the names 

 of other besides German botanists associated with 

 this great undertaking; so far, Dr. Rendle, who 

 wrote the volume on the Naiadaceae, is the only 

 exception. The commendable spirit of camaraderie 

 which exists between botanists has been amplv demon- 

 strated in the various international meetings, of 

 which the latest was recently held in Vienna, and it 

 would not appear to be a matter beyond practical 

 realisation to give a more international character to 

 this magiiutu opus. 



AN ITALIAN TKXT-BOOK OV PHYSIOLOGY. 

 Physiologic dcs Mciischci,. By Dr. Luigi Luciani. 



Ins Deutsche iibertragen und bearbeitet von Dr. S. 



Baglioni und Dr. H. Winterstein. Dritte Lief., 



PP- 323 + S02 + viii. Vierte Lief., pp. i6o. (Jena: 



G. Fischer, 1905.) 

 T^HE general features and aims of Dr. Luciani's 

 -•- text-book of human physiologv have already 

 been alluded to in the review of the first two parts, 

 and need not be recapitulated here. The first few 

 pages of the third part complete the account of the 

 physicochemical phenomena of respiration. The 

 following chapter gives an excellent account of the 

 mechanics of respiration, including the influence of 

 the respiratory movements on arterial and venous 

 blood pressures. 



The succeeding chapter, on the nervous mechanism 

 of respiration, is specially good, and one cannot fail 

 to admire the mastery of the literature of the subject 

 shown by the author, every page giving evidence of 

 knowledge of the original sources. The subject of 

 the localisation of the bulbar, spinal, and cerebral 

 respiratory centres is fully dealt with, the results 

 obtained by the earlier observers — Legallois, Flourens, 

 Schiff and others— being well epitomised. A good 

 resume is also given of the important later results 

 obtained by Gad and Marinescu on the localisation 

 of the bulbar respiratory centres. Reference is also 

 made to the interesting results yielded by Aducco's 

 NO. 1877, VOL. 72] 



research on the action of cocaine upon the respiratory 

 centre^. 



The author next gives an account of the influence 

 upon the respiratory centres exerted by stimuli trans- 

 mitted bv alferent nerves. A considerable amount of 

 space is devoted to the important work of Hering, 

 Breuer, and others on the self-regulatory mechanism 

 subserved bv the vagi. The Liter experiments of 

 Head have been omitted. 



The subjects of apnoea and periodic respiration 

 are discussed with great fulness, much of the author's 

 own work being given. 



The next chapter deals with lymph — its sources, 

 phvsical, chemical, and morphological characters, its 

 circulation, and the theories of its formation. An 

 excellent critical account is given of the secretion 

 theorv of Heidcnhain, as compared w'ith physico- 

 chemical theories of the majority of later workers 

 in this field. In the concluding pages of this chapter 

 the structure and functions of the lymph glands and 

 Ivmphoid organs — bone marrow, thymus, and spleen 

 — are fully described. 



The first chapter of the second volume is devoted to 

 the subject of the internal secretions of the ductless 

 glands. After a brief introductory account of the 

 historical development of our knowledge of glandular 

 secretion, the author passes to a detailed description 

 of the structure and functions of the thyroid and 

 parathyroids. The treatment of the physiology of 

 the thyroid and parathyroids is so complete and full 

 of interest that only a brief reference to the most 

 salient points is possible. The various theories which 

 have been held with regard to the results of removal 

 are critically reviewed. Very full treatment is 

 accorded to the experimental foundations for the 

 theory of an auto-intoxication. In this connection, 

 the results obtained by Coizi and others by means 

 of the method of crossed transfusion are of great 

 interest and importance. Gley's ingenious experi- 

 ments on the relative toxicity of the blood serum of 

 normal dogs as compared with that of dogs from 

 which the thyroids had been previouslv removed are 

 also fully described. .\n important section of this 

 chapter is devoted to the theories of independent speci- 

 fic functions of the thyroid and parathyroids, and to the 

 experimental basis on which these theories are founded. 



The structure and still obscure physiology of the 

 pituitary gland are briefly epitomised. A satisfactory 

 account is next given of the structure and functions 

 of the suprarenal glands, although in this case the 

 results obtained by English workers have not been 

 sufficiently recognised by the author. 



The following chapter deals with the external 

 digestive secretions of the salivary glands, pancreas, 

 gastric and intestinal mucosLe, and liver. The final 

 chapter is devoted to the mechanical and chemical 

 phenomena of buccal and gastric digestion. The 

 account has been kept well abreast of the most recent 

 advances, many important additions being made by 

 the translators. 



A perusal of the third and fourth parts strengthens 

 the impression that the complete work will prove 

 itself to be a most trustworthy and illuminative guide 

 to modern physiology. J. A. Milrov. 



