October 28, i< 09] 



NA TURE 



513 



is the historic letter, a typical example of the official 

 non possumtis attitude not even unknown at the 

 present dav, dated August 5. :8i6, from the secretary 

 of the Admiralty to Mr. (afterwards Sir) Francis 

 Ronalds, F.R.S., relative to the electric telegraph. 



" Mr. Barrow presents his compliments to Mr. 

 Ronalds, and acquaints him with reference to his 

 note of the 3rd inst. that telegraphs of any kind 

 are now wholly unnecessary; and that no other than 

 the one now in use will be adopted." 



This was a semaphore ! 



The two volumes contain 5966 entries, and they arc 

 completed bv a name-index. 



The .American Institute of Eleclrical Engineers is 

 to be congratulated upon its possession of so valuable 

 a library, the contents of which have been brought 

 home to them in so pleasing and .sympathetic a 

 manner. C. V. Boys. 



COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF ANIMALS. 

 An Introduction to the Study of the Comparative 

 Anatomy of Animals. By Prof. Gilbert C. Bourne. 

 Vol. !. Second edition, revised. Pp. xvi + 299. 

 (London : George Bell and Sons, 1909.) Price 6s. 



PROF. BOURNE says rightly that there is a con- 

 siderable difference of opinion as to the limits 

 of elementary teaching in comparative anatomy, which 

 he defines as " the science which treats of the archi- 

 tecture of animals." The second edition of his 

 well-knoivn and interesting text-book will be welcomed 

 by all serious students of animal biology, for it is 

 with animal biology rather than pure anatomy that 

 it deals. This is necessarily the case, for anatomy and 

 physiology must ever go hand in hand. 



The position of biology in the University curriculum 

 is at the present time a very critical one, especially 

 in the case of medical students, for whom this work 

 is expressly intended. The enormous increase in our 

 knowledge of the detailed structure of all the 

 commoner forms of animal life which has taken place 

 during the last few years makes it more and more 

 difficult to select the materials for a first year's 

 course. The introduction of too large a number of 

 tvpes necessitates superficial treatment, while, on the 

 other hand, the too detailed study of only a few 

 types leaves the student without time to follow even 

 the main steps in the evolution of the animal 

 kingdom. He cannot see the wood for the trees. 

 The chief value of the study of comparative anatomy 

 and physiology for the medical student lies in the 

 fact that they help him in the end to understand 

 the structure and functions of the human body, but 

 there is very much in the minute structure of the 

 lower animals which is not necessary for this purpose, 

 and we fear that the insistence upon what many 

 regard as superfluous detail has done much in late 

 years to discourage the study of zoology, not only 

 amongst medical students, but also amongst others 

 who doubt their ability to digest and assimilate 

 (especially for examination purposes) the immense 

 mass of intellectual food set before them. Fortunately 

 so much detail, however interesting in itself, is not 

 NO. 20S7, VOL. 81] 



really necessary for the comprehension of the great 

 principles of the subject. 



Prof. Bourne's view is, as he tells us in his preface, 

 that the more elementary the teaching the fuller it 

 should be, and this view finds full expression in the 

 volume before us, which, we venture to think, is 

 likely to appeal to the advanced perhaps even more 

 than to the elementary student. Protozoa are fashion- 

 able at the present day, but it is, perhaps, a pity that 

 Prof. Bourne did not follow what he tells us was his 

 original intention, and omit some of the types with 

 which he deals so fully. .Actinosphsrium, at any 

 rate, has very slight claims to inclusion in an ele- 

 mentary text-book. On the other hand, a cordial 

 welcome may be extended to Copromonas, a very 

 valuable new type, of which an admirable account is 

 given, based upon the work of Mr. Dobell. 



A few inaccuracies in phraseology might with 

 advantage be attended to in future editions, e.g. 

 " smell and taste are localised patches of end organs " 

 (p. q), but these are minor blemishes which detract 

 but little from the thoroughness with which the author 

 has carried out his extremely useful work. 



MODERN MIRACLES. 

 The Faith and Works of Christian Science. By the 

 writer of " Confessio Medici." Pp. xi + 242. 

 (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1909.) Price 

 35. 6d. net. 



THE cult, if it mav be so termed, of Christian 

 science has taken considerable hold on a section 

 of the community here and elsewhere, and we wel- 

 come this book by the author of " Confessio Medici " 

 exposing its fallacies, inconsistencies, and dangers. 

 No one, perhaps, could do this in a more genial 

 manner, but the whole forms a scathing indictment 

 indeed. 



In the introductory pages the author tries with 

 more or less success to put into plain words the con- 

 trast between philosophy and Christian science. He 

 then arranges in the form of articles some of 

 the tenets of Christian science taken from Mrs. 

 Eddy's writings, discusses life and Christian science, 

 the reality of disease and the reality of pain, and 

 gives a brief survey of Mrs. Eddy's remarkable career. 

 Next, and most important, the record of the testi- 

 monies of healing by Christian science is critically 

 examined. Two hundred recent cases (."Xpril-.'Vugust, 

 1908) are analysed; the author has taken the trouble 

 to write to many of the patients for additional in- 

 formation, and a more inadequate and unconvincing 

 series could hardly be imagined. This one is healed 

 of " kidney and liver trouble," that one of " stomach 

 trouble," a third of " fever," a fourth of "colds and 

 eruptive fever," and so on. The details are of the 

 scantiest, and, in most instances, the diagnosis is the 

 patient's own. The author concludes from these 

 evidences 



•' that Christian science accepts all testimonials, 

 even the most fantastic and illiterate. That she 

 embellishes what she publishes. That she evades in- 

 vestigation. That her claim to cure organic disease 



