602 



NA TURE 



[October 15, 1908 



this subject, the author has wisely limited his account 

 to the more important facts. It is somewhat un- 

 fortunate that Hopkins's method for the estimation 

 of uric acid has been omitted, since it is much simpler 

 than that of .Salkowski and I^udwig, which has been 

 selected by the author. .\ considerable amount of 

 space is devoted to the subject of the toxicity of the 

 urine under normal and patholog-ical conditions. A 

 comprehensive account is next given of the various 

 theories dealing with the secretion of the urine. The 

 description of the functions of the urinary system 

 concludes with a very full and lucid review of the 

 functions of the bladder. 



The physiology of the skin and its glands forms 

 the subject of the ne.\t chapter. The final pages of 

 the section are devoted to a very thorough and interest- 

 ing description of the histological and chemical 

 changes involved in the secretion of milk. 



Part vii. deals first with the general physiology 

 of muscle. An exceptionally complete account is given 

 of the methods employed in studying muscular work. 

 The mechanics of the special organs of motion are 

 also discussed in greater detail than is usual in text- 

 books of physiology. \ description of the mechanism 

 of voice production forms a natural conclusion to this 

 chapter. 



The following chapter gives a clear and detailed 

 account of the general physiology of the nervous 

 system, and includes several hitherto unpublished 

 figures from Golgi. An excellent critical review of 

 the neurone theory of the constitution of the nervous 

 system forms a prominent feature of this section. The 

 recent work of Verworn and his pupils on the hitherto 

 somewhat obscure subject of the metabolism of the 

 nerve centres is fully described. The recent interest- 

 ing experiments of Baglioni and Winterstein on the 

 isolated cord of the frog are also included in this 

 chapter. The physiology of the spinal cord and it> 

 nerves forms the subject of the next chapter. .\ note- 

 worthy feature is the very lucid and thorough descrip- 

 tion of the segmental distribution of the spinal nerves. 

 Baglioni and Winterstein — the translators of the 

 work — have added a very useful summary of the 

 physiology of the sympathetic nervous system. 



The physiology of the bulb and associated cranial 

 nerves is next described in detail. In the following 

 chapter, a very valuable and critical account is given 

 of the physiology of the cerebellum, largely based upon 

 the author's own work. 



The two final chapters deal with the physiology of 

 the mid-brain, basal ganglia, and cerebrum. They 

 embrace a very comprehensive survey of the historical 

 development of our knowledge up to the most recent 

 date. A masterly description is given of the localisa- 

 tion of the senscri-motor, sensory, and association 

 centres in the cerebral cortex of man and the higher 

 mammals. 



It would be difficult to speak too highly of the value 

 of this text-book. Its preparation must have entailed 

 an almost incalculable amount of labour, combining 

 as it does that wealth of detail usually only found in 

 text-books written by numerous contributors with the 

 uniformity of treatment resulting from the fact that it 

 NO. 2033, VOL. 78] 



is essentially the work of one author. The account of 

 the nervous system especially reveals an exact and 

 intimate knowledge of the literature. The work of 

 English physiologists in this field receives fuller treat- 

 ment than in most foreign text-books. 



The translators of the work — Baglioni and Winter- 

 stein — have made many valuable additions with the 

 object of bringing the book fully up to date. The 

 book is remarkably free from typographical errors. 

 The following errata, however, should be noted : — 

 on p. 370 of vol. ii. " phenol " is used instead of 

 "indol," and on p. 600 of vol. iii., in the description 

 of Flechsig's scheme of the projection and association 

 centres, "parietal " is used instead of "frontal." In 

 one instance also the word " verleiten " is used instead 

 of " verleihen." J. A. Milroy. 



TECHNICAL CHEMISTRY. 



Leather Industries Laboratory Book of Analytical 

 mil Experimental Methods. By Prof. H. R. 

 Procter. Second edition, revised and enlarged. 

 Pp. xx+460. (London : E. and F. N. Spon, Ltd. ; 

 New York : Spon and Chamberlain, 1908.) Price 

 iSs. net. 



AS the first edition of this work has been out of 

 print and unobtainable for more than two 

 years, the appearance of a second and revised edition 

 is extremely welcome to those who are in any way 

 connected with the leather and allied trades. 



The second edition of this work is similar in style 

 and external appearance to the first edition, but has 

 been considerably enlarged and in parts completely 

 re-written. Prof. Procter has added new methods of 

 analvsis for the control of the tan-yard, in some cases 

 as supplementary to the old, but in others has substi- 

 tuted the newer methods as being more accurate ; and 

 as the author states in the preface that " they have 

 been carefully tested in my own laboratory," the dic- 

 tum of such an authority will suffice to satisfy all 

 chemists working in this branch. The work is not 

 meant to teach either chemical theory or the prin- 

 ciples of leather manufacture, but contains in handy 

 form practically all the various common analytical 

 methods likely to be required either by the chemist 

 in the tannery or b}' those doing work in connection 

 with the chemistry of the leather and allied trades. 

 It is not intended to take the place of ordinary 

 chemical text-books, but to supplement them; and 

 throughout the volume the fullest references are given 

 to original papers and methods. 



The work deals in various chapters with general 

 methods of analysis, technical water analysis, depila- 

 tants, the estimation of ammonia and hide substance, 

 the analysis of materials used in puering, bateing, 

 liming, &c. Chapter viii., dealing with the chemistry 

 of the tannins and their derivatives, has been con- 

 siderably enlarged and brought up to date. In this 

 the author has summarised all the work which has 

 been done on this subject up to the present time, and 

 gives copious references. The chapters dealing with 

 the analysis of tanning materials and the ofllcial 

 methods of tannin estimation have been completely 

 re-written, and full details of the new international 



