June 20, 1907] 



NA TURE 



171 



of temperature " as indicating a particular physical 

 condition of that body while heat is the agency to 

 whicli this condition is due," which is true enough, 

 though it applies just as well to colour and light, 

 convey information worthy of being recorded in 

 formal language? 



The " Elementary Study of Chemistry " is intended 

 for much older students than either of the foregoing, 

 and is an introduction to the serious study of chem- 

 istry as a separate science. The authors do not lay 

 claim to any great originality in the treatment of 

 their subject, and in this we must concur. .\t the 

 same time, the fact that it resembles other elemen- 

 tary text-books does not detract from its merits. 

 The authors have done their work thoughtfully and 

 well. The matter is well arranged, the style is 

 simple and concise, the paper and printing are good, 

 and the illustrations are numerous and well executed. 



.\s in the volume just referred to, we are soon 

 confronted with definitions. " Physical changes," we 

 are told, " are those which do not involve a change in 

 the composition of tlie matter," but we are not told 

 what " composition " means. " Chemical changes 

 involve a change in the composition of matter." 

 How would isomeric change be classified — say the 

 conversion of ammonium cyanate into urea — accord- 

 ing to this definition? Why attempt to define where 

 there is no clear boundary, for it is not always easy 

 to say where physical change ends and chemical 

 change begins? 



.Apart from this we have nothing but praise for 

 the book. The information is well up to date. There 

 are suggestive chapters on "solutions," "chemical 

 equilibrium," and the new learning; and if the teach- 

 ing is a little didactic in places and leaves many 

 obvious questions unanswered, it must be ascribed 

 to the highly condensed treatment of the subject. 



J. B. C. 



MEDICAL SCIENCE. 



(i) The Control of a Scourge, or Hoiu Cancer is 

 Curable. By Charles P. Childe. Pp. ix-l-2t)q. 

 (London : Methuen and Co., n.d.) Price ys. 6d. net. 

 {2) The Essential Similarity of Innocent and Malig- 

 nant Tumours. A Study of Tumour Groivth. By 

 Charles W. Cathcart. Pp. xii + yg; thirty-eight 

 plates. (Bristol : John Wright and Co. ; London : 

 Simpkin Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., Ltd., 

 1907.) Price qs. 6d. net. 

 (V) Guy's Hospital Reports. Edited by F. J. Steward 

 and Herbert French. \'ol. Ix., being vol. xlv. of 

 the third series. Pp. 373. ^London : J. and .\. 

 Churchill, 1906.) 

 (l) TN "The Control of a Scourge," Mr. Childe 

 J- deals with the c.-incer problem particularly in 

 relation to prevention and cure. Whether the subject 

 could not have been dealt with in a quarter of the 

 space with equally satisfactory results as regards the 

 g^eneral public is a question, many of the details 

 introduced being quite unnecessary for the average 

 man or woman to know. What is really wanted is 

 the broadest issue of a leaflet indicating the " danger 

 signals " warning of the development of a cancerous 

 NO. 1964, VOL. 76] 



growth. The medical profession has naturally shrunk 

 from doing this, savouring, as it might seem, of 

 unprofessional advertising; but the importance of 

 the subject warrants this being done, and there is a 

 good precedent in the case of tuberculosis. Mr. 

 Childe 's main theme is that cancer usually indicates 

 itself at an early stage by certain signs — " danger 

 signals " — a lump, a sore, an abnormal discharge, 

 Src, and that the public should be educated to under- 

 stand the importance of these, so that they may seek 

 advice at the earliest possible moment ; and, this being 

 so, cure would be possible in a much larger proportion 

 of cases than at present. For cancer is at first a 

 local disease ; in four-fifths of the cases, at least, it is 

 situated in regions eminently accessible for surgical 

 operation, and complete removal while in the local 

 stage would mean cure. 



To the layman who wants to know all about cancer, 

 and to the general practitioner who desires to be in a 

 position to discuss the cancer problem with laymen, 

 the book can be thoroughly recommended. 



(2) The second work is for the professional reader, 

 and is illustrated with some beautiful plates. It is, of 

 course, admitted that there is no sharp line of demar- 

 cation between innocent and malignant growths, but 

 we should take exception to the unqualified statement 

 (p. 71) that "the same tumour may be at one time 

 innocent and at another time malignant." Even now 

 the minuter characters of the structure of neoplasms 

 are by no means completely worked out, and it is 

 surely previous to assert that tumours having an 

 identity of structure may at one time be innocent and 

 at another malignant. In the case of some of the 

 infectious warts, &-e., they should be regarded as 

 infective granulomata rather than as true neoplasms. 

 If not, it would be quite as logical to classify the 

 granulomatous new formations of tubercule, syphilis, 

 &-C. , as neoplasms. 



(3) This volume of the Guy's Hospital reports con- 

 tains a number (sixteen) of interesting papers, many 

 of which have, however, been published elsewhere. 

 .Among others, Dr. F. Taylor discusses the chronic 

 relapsing pyrexia of Hodgkin's disease, Drs. Bain- 

 bridge and Beddard discuss the mechanism of secre- 

 tion by the renal tubules in the frog, and Dr. Buzzard 

 and Mr. Allen describe observations on the effects 

 produced by chohne upon animals. The volume con- 

 tains much matter of scientific value, and to old Guy's 

 men the " school " news which is included will add 

 to its interest. R- T. H. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



liihtham; the Slorv of a Kentish Village and its 

 'Surroundings. By F. J. Bennett. Pp. viii+158; 



illustrated. (London : The Homeland Association, 



Ltd., 1907.) Price ys. 6d. net. 

 The area described lucidly in this volume is one of the 

 most interesting in the country to the archsologist, 

 the geologist, and the general student of nature. It 

 comprises some sixteen square miles north of Ton- 

 bridge, lying between Maidstone and Sevenoaks, and 

 under the unremitting observation of Mr. Benjamin 

 Harrison, the White of Ightham, has probably been 

 surveyed in greater detail than any other similar rural 



