60 
NATURE 
[Marcu 21, 1912 
tissue fine-fibred bone becomes laid down in con- 
centric layers, lining the canals which lodge the 
vascular material. This “marrow-bone” (Mark- 
knochen) represents the superstructure laid down 
upon the more ancient coarse-fibred bony founda- 
tion, perfecting its structure, and rendering it 
more efficient as a weight-bearer. The medullary 
cavity is formed by the anastomosis of the intru- 
sive canals filled with highly vascular tissue, 
which forms the rudiment of the marrow. 
A great deal of precise and suggestive informa- 
tion is given in regard to these and other matters, 
such as the phylogeny of the Haversian canals and 
the nature of epiphyseal centres of ossification. 
The chief interest of the book lies in the sup- 
port it gives to the growing conviction of the 
essential uniformity of the processes of ossifica- 
tion, although perhaps its author might not go so 
far as to admit this. G. Exviiot Smiru. 
OUR BOOKSHELF. 
The Story of the Five Elements. 
Edmunds and J. B. Hoblyn. 
Modern Knowledge.) 
Cassell and Co., 
net. 
Tuis book is of a type now becoming more 
common, an elementary account of science intended 
for “the intelligent general reader who, having a 
genuine interest in science, is nevertheless unable 
to follow up any one branch of it in close detail.” 
To write such a book successfully a sound know- 
ledge of the subject, a gift of attractive exposi- 
tion, and a good literary style are necessary. 
These are evinced in a very satisfactory measure 
by the authors of the work before us. No serious 
misstatement has been noticed during perusal 
nothing more important than the use of “de- 
phlogisticated”” for ‘“phlogisticated”” on pp. 7o 
and 89. The exposition is clear, and a fresh turn 
is given to the story of elementary chemistry by 
following the track of the ancient “elements.” 
The language is not hackneyed, nor yet aggres- 
sively unconventional. A perusal of the book wil! 
not make a chemist, but it will give a just idea of 
chemistry to an intelligent reader; and to an ele- 
mentary student, in the shackles of a traditional 
text-book, it will afford a salutary relief, a breath 
By, Bae 
(The Library of 
Pp. vui+ 264. (London: 
Etc Lomi.) werice) 2s-s0d- 
of fresher air. A. S. 
An Introduction to Therapeutic Inoculation. By 
Dr. D: W. Carmalt Jones. Pp. xiv+171. 
(London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 10911.) 
Price’ 3s. 6d. net: 
Tuis book, by one who is a pupil of Sir Almroth 
Wright and the director of the department of 
bacterio-therapeutics of a London hospital, may be 
taken as an authoritative guide to the inoculation 
method for’ the treatment of infective diseases. 
It is divided into two parts, the first dealing’ with 
the principles underlying the method, the second 
NO! 2272) VoL, So} 
with its practical application. Stress is rightly 
laid on the importance of the exact diagnosis of 
the nature of an infection by bacteriological 
methods, and it can scarcely be doubted that in 
the future exact diagnosis of the condition and 
the treatment of the infection itself will become 
more and more laboratory procedures, the function 
of the clinician being to decide if the disease is an 
infective one, to aid the recognition of the disease 
by the use of physical methods of diagnosis, to 
invoke laboratory methods to assist in the 
diagnosis, to exercise a general control over the 
patient, and to treat the general condition of the 
patient and any complications that may arise. 
Full directions are given for the estimation of 
the opsonic index, which, in spite of adverse 
criticism, is considered by the author to possess 
considerable value for diagnosis and treatment, 
and for the preparation of the vaccines necessary 
for the inoculation treatment. Finally, the prac- 
tice of inoculation in the treatment of various 
infections is fully considered. 
I 1 ISI; 
The Babylonian Expedition of the University of 
Pennsylvania. Series A: Cuneiform Texts. 
Edited by H. V. Hilprecht. Volume xxix., 
Part i.: Sumerian Hymns and Prayers to 
God (sic!) Nin-ib from the Temple Library of 
Nippur. By H. Radau. Pp. x+88-+21 plates. 
(Philadelphia: Department of Archeology, 
University of Pennsylvania, rorr.) 
One of the most interesting peoples 
ancient world was the Sumerian race, which 
founded the great civilisation of Babylonia. The 
cuneiform writing of western Asia was their in- 
vention, and the religious system of Babylon, 
which had so great an influence upon the Hebrew 
of the 
cult from which Christianity sprang, was 
originally theirs. Among the spoils of the 
American expedition to Nippur, in southern 
Babylonia, which are now being published under 
the editorship of Prof. Hilprecht, were a large 
number of the usual clay tablets inscribed with 
Sumerian hymns to the god Ninib. These are 
now translated and described by Herr 
Radau. That he has done his work well there 
can be no question, though we may not agree 
with all the conclusions he draws from his 
material. The non-Semitic Sumerian language, 
entirely different from the tongue of the Semitic 
Babylonians who borrowed the culture, includ- 
ing the script and religion, of the Sumerians, 
offers peculiar difficulties to the translator, and 
others may not always agree with the inter- 
pretation which Herr Radau gives to indi- 
vidual words and phrases of his texts; but the 
' general sense of the originals is clear enough. 
Of the religious tone of these hymns, the best idea 
is to be derived from a perusal of them. We 
scarcely agree with the exaggerated estimates 
which their translator, perhaps pardonably, is 
often led into with regard to them, and his 
“maecrocosmology” and ‘“‘microcosmology ” 
seem far-fetched. But of the main facts as 
expounded by him there is no doubt. 
Hugo- 
