332 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1397 



dealt with the central point of contemporary 

 scientific interest. Critical phases occur in 

 the evolution of knowledge of such a kind that 

 they seem to be revolutions in thought. The 

 new vision of the atom as an ordered system, 

 a macrocosm of energy in microcosmic space, 

 is one of the greatest of these stages in the 

 history of man's conquest of Nature. Doubt- 

 less, as the president explained, the discovery 

 was reached along many converging paths of 

 theory and of experiment. It was even pre- 

 dicted, fifty years ago in a presidential ad- 

 dress, also at an Edinburgh meeting of the 

 association, when Kelvin summed up the pro- 

 gram of the past and suggested the lines 

 along which future research must move. Sir 

 James Dewar, at a dinner given by the Royal 

 Society of Edinburgh last Tuesday, recalled 

 even earlier predictions. But its attainment 

 has led to results almost overwhelming in 

 their importance. It has reconciled physics 

 and chemistry in a higher unity. It has given 

 a clock by which the age of the earth may 

 be told. It has allowed astronomers to ex- 

 plain the pulsations of the distant stars. It 

 has opened up prospects of a new and in- 

 exhaustible source of power for the practical 

 uses of mankind. The Edinburgh meeting 

 of the British Association will long be re- 

 membered as that at which the new atomic 

 age was made known to those outside the in- 

 ner ring of science. — The London Times. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



KEEN'S SURGERY 



The first six volumes of Keen's " Surgery " 

 recorded the progress of surgery down to 

 1913. In the preface to the additional volumes 

 Dr. Keen states that the general purpose is 

 to make available the lessons of the war for 

 the surgery of peace and to set down every 

 worth while surgical achievement since the 

 war; and both of these objects have been 

 accomplished in a masterful way. The two 

 volumes consist of a series of monographs 

 vsT-itten by authors of international reputa- 

 tion and comprise 1800 pages with 996 illu- 

 strations, 29 of them in color. 



The editor counts it " a crovsming privilege 

 of his long life to be associated with such a 

 distinguished company of authors." The 

 distinguished authors also doubtless count it 

 as an inspiring privilege to have been as- 

 sociated in the production of the work with 

 such an enthusiastic student and able teacher. 



In the two new volumes the names of many 

 former contributors are absent and new names 

 are added. There has also been some shifting 

 of subject matter. The editor has added many 

 footnotes of great help to the reader, and has 

 made many cross references to statements of 

 the different authors of the various chapters. 

 Typographical errors are few and there is 

 evidence of careful editing and proofreading. 



Much space in the two volumes is devoted 

 to the organization of the medical depart- 

 ments of the Army and Navy. The chapters 

 by Colonel Ashford of the U. S. Army, by 

 Captain Bell of the TJ. S. Navy and by Lieut. 

 Commander Stephens of the British Navy 

 occupy 183 pages, including many photo- 

 graphs, drawings, diagrams and lists of 

 furniture and equipments. Much informa- 

 tion is given of value in civil practise, such 

 as the treatment of shock, burns and suffoca- 

 tion by fumes and smoke. 



The chapter on Gas Gangrene by Sir Cuth- 

 bert Wallace is complete and most beautifully 

 illustrated. Some qualification seems neces- 

 sary for the statement it contains that " suture 

 of the main artery is recommended as a 

 prophylactic measure against massive gan- 

 grene." 



The chapter by Cannon on Traumatic 

 Shock, although occupying only 19 pages, is 

 exceedingly valuable, being not only authori- 

 tative and scientific, but practical as well. 



Sir William Thorburn in his contribution 

 on Injuries of the Spine and Spinal Cord 

 emphasizes the treatment of the patient as 

 a primary principle. The importance of the 

 management of the bladder for example is 

 stressed by the remark that " the bladder 

 holds the key to life or death for the patient." 

 In his chapter on Injuries to the Peripheral 

 Nerves the author fails to mention the work 



