CURRED IL LITERATURE 
BOOK REVIEWS 
A textbook of physiological chemistry 
On account of the rapidly growing importance of physiological chemistry 
in modern plant physiology, a recent textbook by MatHeEws! will be found 
of particular interest to plant physiologists. Much of this large volume is 
of equal interest to plant and animal physiologists. Those features which con- 
cern the plant physiologist more especially are as follows. 
e point of view seems more that of the biochemist than previous texts 
on this subject, which have been treated almost exclusively from the standpoint 
of the animal physiologist. This is doubtless due to the more extensive treat- 
ment of those phases of the subject not exclusively of interest to the animal 
physiologist, namely, the chemistry of the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, 
and the physical chemistry of the cell. These subjects constitute part I 
(pp. 265). Some plant physiologists, perhaps selfishly, had hoped for even 
more extensive treatment of the more general phases of the subject. 
Part II deals with ‘‘the mammalian body considered as a machine,”’ and 
while it is of more direct interest to the animal physiologist, there are chapters 
which interest the plant physiologist as well, namely, the chapters entitled 
“Animal heat” and “Metabolism under various conditions.” In the former 
chapter there is given a summary of our present knowledge of respiration 
and a historical résumé of its development. The brief historical discussion 
which the author has given in connection with the treatment of various phases 
of the whole subject of physiological chemistry seems especially commendable. 
The statement made early in the text that the energy of the body comes 
“immediately from the union of living matter or its constituents with oxygen’”’ 
indicates that he leans toward the PFLUGER-VERWORN conception of respiration. 
This conception and the opposing view of HoOFMEISTER are treated in the latter 
chapter under respiration. 
art III is devoted to practical work and methods. An admirable labora- 
tory course dealing with the general phases of the subject and a course of 
special methods in quantitative analysis of plant and animal tissue form the 
asis. In the treatment of this practical work the author gratefully acknowl- 
edges the able assistance of his colleague F. C. Kocu, under whose direction, 
for the most part, these courses have been developed. A separate index to 
part III is an excellent feature——Lrr I. Knicur. 
* Matuews, ALBERT P., Physiological chemistry, a textbook and manual for 
students. 8vo. pp. 1040. New York: Wood. 191 
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