292 



NA TURE 



[JuLv 25, 1907 1; 



practice in Germany, where, unfortunately for the 

 colliery owners, the subject of shaft sinking, in circum- 

 stances of special difficulty has necessarily received 

 special attention. Some of the difficulties recorded are 

 appalling. For example, the sinking of a shaft at 

 the Rheinpreiissen colliery occupied twenty years, and 

 at the Friedrichshall shaft sinking thirty-four yards 

 cost no less than 437/. a yard with the shaft-boring 

 process, whilst the unsuccessful attempt to sink ten 

 vards by pumping cost 1563/. per vard. The author 

 favours the Kind Chaudron method of sinking by the 

 process of boring, a method that has never been known 

 to fail. The freezing process, which was devised in 

 1883, has been applied in sixty-four cases, the deepest 

 being at the Schieferkaute mine, where the ground 

 had to be frozen to a depth of 240 yards; The depths 

 that can be dealt with by this process are limited by 

 the plasticity of ice. 



The value of the author's detailed descriptions is 

 greatlv enhanced bv the large-scale dimensioned draw- 

 ings of the various shafts. On the whole, the volume 

 furnishes those in charge of mining undertakings with 

 a review of the various methods that may be used 

 in difficult cases of sinking, so that the selection of 

 the best method for any particular case is facilitated. 

 It is not a book for elementary students, but one that 

 deserves the careful study of advanced students and of 

 experienced engineers. The translation has been care- 

 fullv made, and a bibliography and index, that are 

 wanting in the German edition, are undoubtedly valu- 

 able additions. 



Die philosophischen Gniiidhixcu dcr Wissciischajlcii. 

 by Prof. B. Weinstein. Pp. xiv + 543. (Leipzig and 

 Berlin : B. G. Teubner, 1906.) Price 9 marks. 

 This volume contains a series of thirty-five lectures 

 originally delivered in the University of Berlin. A 

 wide range of subjects is treated^from sense-percep- 

 tion to time, space, causality, substance, hypothesis, 

 explanation. As the lecture form is preserved, the dis- 

 cussion never becomes crabbed or too compressed — a 

 great virtue in a book — and the author moves naturally 

 and easily whithersoever the topic leads him. He 

 touches no subject without elucidating it, and the 

 hope expressed in the preface that the work will be of 

 some value alike to specialists and ordinary readers 

 will, we are sure, be amply fulfilled. In particular the 

 work may be heartily recommended to young philo- 

 sophical students with some knowledge of German 

 who are trying to crack some of the nuts of psychology 

 and metaphysics. Had Prof. Weinstein but added 

 at the end of each chapter a short list of other dis- 

 cussions of his subject that might profitably be 

 consulted, our gratitude would have been even greater 

 than it is. 



A few indications of the author's standpoint and 

 mode of treatment must be given. The attempt to 

 " explain " phenomena of consciousness by physical 

 terms like attraction, pressure, vibration of molecules, 

 and the like is well characterised on p. 54, where it 

 is pointed out what utter folly it would be thought to 

 " explain" in the same way the inertia of lifeless sub- 

 stances as caused by vibrations of the substance. How 

 competing perceptions are unified is a topic that 

 occupies several excellent pages. We see thin.gs 

 upright, although the retinal image reallv shows the 

 object in an inverted form. Prof. Weinstein is at 

 pains to contest the view that this takes place because 

 the judgment of the sense of touch is so powerful as to 

 overwhelm that of the sense of sight. He points out, 

 for exrnnplc, that all orientation in space takes place 

 with reference to our bodies, and we judge according 

 to the movements which we perform with parts of our 

 bodies. " Below " means what we bar; to bend our 

 bodies to touch ; " above " what we must stand on 



'no. 1969 VOL. 76] 



tip-toe to touch. If we saw everything inverted, ac- 

 cording to the information supplied by the retinal 

 image, we should see our bodies as well in an inverted 

 position. Hence the sense of touch, and the sense 

 would always give harmonious judgments. The treat- 

 ment of the a priitri nature of Zeitlichkeit and of the 

 whole subject of causality leaves little to be desired, 

 and atomism and a?ther have a few illuminating para- 

 graphs. It is an excellent volume in every way. 



The Toxins and Venoms and their Antibodies. 

 Bv Km. Pozzi-Kscot. .Authorised translation by 

 Dr. Alfred T. Cohn. Pp. viiH-ioi. (New York': 

 John W'ilev and Sons ; London : Chapman and Hall, 

 Ltd., ic)o6.) Price 4$. 6rf. net. 

 We regret that we are unable to speak favourably of 

 this little book. In 100 short pages an attempt is 

 made to survey the whole domain of toxins, bac- 

 terial, vegetable, and animal, of the venoms and of 

 antitoxins, with the result that it is superficial and 

 sketchy. It teems with errors in spelling, and with 

 curious sentences, probably due to faulty translation. 

 e.f;. Micocher for Miescher, Rauson for Ransom, 

 tumors for humors, Chauvee for Chauveau, Zalnosk) 

 for Zalcnsky, methylotoxin for mytilotoxin, &c. ; 

 mussels are spoken of as Crustacea, and scorpions as 

 insects; it is stated that "toxins art as toxic agents 

 only when in a condition to be introduced into the 

 circulation sub-cutaneously," " the action of bee 

 poison is very often benign," "in vitro it fanti- 

 venine) acts quite as well preventively as therapeu- 

 tically," and SI) (Ml. R. T. Hrwlf.tt. 



Evervnian's Book of the Greenhouse H'nheated). By 

 W. Irving. Pp. 247. (London : Hodder and 

 .Stoughton, n.d.) Price 5,9. net. 

 The designation " unhealed " is a convenient term 

 to denote a greenhouse in which there is no set heat- 

 ing apparatus. .\ small stove that will keep out the 

 frost adds materially to the utility of a greenhouse, as 

 it is thus possible to provide a winter domicile for 

 half-hardy plants, besides enabling the possessor to 

 fo.rce plants into growth and prepare plants for window 

 boxes or house decoration. 



The author has extended the limits of his selection 

 to include alpine plants and others that are especially 

 suitable to pot culture. The directions as to choice 

 and management are based on Mr. Irving's long ex- 

 perience at Kew, and are simply and clearly expressed. 

 The longer paragraphs, such as that on the genu^ 

 Primula, are the most instructive, and since it is easier 

 to grow a few kinds well, these might have been 

 amplified to the exclusion of certain of the less impor- 

 tant genera. The numerous photographs are very 

 effective and fascinating, but the coloured plates are 

 not attractive. 



" MephistopJielcs." The Autobiography and Adven- 

 tures of n Tabbv Cat. By Keiro (Charles Yates 

 .Stephenson); with illustrations bv Louis Wain. Pp. 

 158. (London : Jarrold and Sons, n.d.) Price 

 2X. 6d. 

 An interesting account is given of the episodes in 

 the life of a cat possessed by Mr. .Stephenson for more 

 than eighteen years. The narrative and the excellent 

 illustrations will both appeal to young people. 



Healthy Boyliood. By /\rthur Trewby ; with an intro- 

 duction by .Sir Dyce Duckworth, and a Foreword 

 by Earl Roberts. Pp. viii + 63. (From the author.) 

 Price IS. 6d. 



This booklet contains useful advice to boys, expressed 



is a temperate manner; it may be commended to the 



attention of parents and schoolmasters. 



