672 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 46. 



partly by probable exceptional rapidity of evo- 

 lution, the more rapid extinction of old forms 

 and the comparative paucity of newly evolved 

 forms, hence the poverty of fossils. 



In a brief re\'iew of a confessedlj'' concentrated 

 dissertation it is not possible to do more than 

 merely outline its scope. The paper is one the 

 the principal importance of which lies in the 

 significance of its hints rather than in its finished 

 conclusions. Arthue Hollick. 



The Practice of Massage : Its Physiological Effects 

 and Therapeutic Uses. By A. Symons Eccles, 

 M. B. Abeed., M. R. C. S., England. Lon- 

 don, Macmillan & Co. 1895. 8vo. Price 

 $2.50. 



It is evident at a glance that the author is a 

 man who can see and think as well as rub. 

 He deals largely with the philosophy of mas- 

 sage and presents his observations in a very 

 plain and comprehensive manner. The book 

 is not a manual for the manipulator so much as 

 a physiological treatise suggesting to the reader 

 the wide scope for the employment of massage 

 and the precise manner in which it acts in given 

 cases. 



The text is enriched by ample references to 

 the best and latest literature in which full credit 

 is given to American authors. Among other 

 affections massage is strongly advocated for the 

 treatment of " Golf-hip " an accident which the 

 author was the first to describe. It is a condi- 

 tion of gluteal strain occurring as the result of 

 over-vigorous employment of the ' driving 

 stroke,' and perhaps associated with a lack of 

 skill in neophytes. One of Mr. Eccles' patients 

 had within ten days of his accident been learn- 

 ing to play golf and had devoted the greater 

 part of an afternoon to the practice of a stroke 

 involving an attitude and a rapid muscular ef- 

 fort ; desiring to pose, while driving a ' tee'd 

 ball,' in the most finished style, he felt a vio- 

 lent pain in the upper and outer part of the 

 buttock and over the right lumbar region, so 

 that on leaving the ground he was vmable to 

 walk without much suffering and could not 

 stand erect. Massage cured him, as it will suf- 

 ferers from a sprained ankle, the lawn tennis 

 elbow and similar accidents. The author 

 claims that massage is a great but neglected 



adjuvant in the treatment of fractures but he 

 goes too far when he says: " Excellent results 

 have been obtained without muscular atrophy 

 in fractures of the patella and leg bones, locomo- 

 tion mthout support, save from a stick, being 

 acquired in a fortnight." 



In applying massage in medical cases, on the 

 other hand, he wisely says that "Impatience is 

 the stumbling-block most readily impeding re- 

 covery, and unless this can be curbed success 

 will not attend the methods advocated. " " Un- 

 fortunately no method of treatment can be 

 vaunted as a cure for deficiency of moral 

 courage." Massage, however, is a great help 

 in the treatment of the morphia and alcohol 

 habits. It is also advocated by the writer for 

 the 'strychnia habit,' a condition not observed, 

 so far as we know, in America. 



As Great Britain has signified her acceptance 

 of the metric system, we hope that future edi- 

 tions of this valuable work will discard the use 

 of ' stones, ' ■\^ath pounds in favor of something 

 more intelligible for readers the world over. 

 Guy Hinsdale. 



NEW BOOKS. 

 Neue Versuche zwm Saison — Dimorpliismus der 



Schmetterlinge. AtrcfUST Wbismann. Jena, 



Gustav Fischer. 1895. Pp. 74. M. 1.50. 

 Neue Gedanhen zur Vererhungsfrage eine Anlwort 



an Herbert Spencer. August Weismann. 



Jena, Gustav Fischer. 1895. Pp. 72. 



M. 1.50. 

 Anleilung zur Mikrochemischen Analyse. H. 



Beheens. Hamburg and Leipzig, Leopold 



Voss. 1895. Pp. viii + 64. 

 Elektricitdt und lAcht. O. Lehmann. Braun- 

 schweig, Vieweg und Sohn. 1895. Pp. xv. 



-t- 390. M. 7.00. 

 Atlas d' OstSologie. Ch. Debieere. Paris, Felix 



Alcan. 1895. Pp. viii +92. 12 fr. 

 Missouri Geological Survey. Vol. III. Chaeles 



R. Keyes. Jefferson City. 1895. Pp. 405. 

 Anarchy or Qovernment. William Mackintiee 



Saller. New York & Boston, Thomas T. 



Crowell & Co. Pp. viii + 177. 75 cents. 

 Etidorhpa, The End of the Earth. John Uri 



Lloyd. Pp. 376. 



