126 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The chapter on animal parasites contains 

 a reference to the Amoeba coli and its relation 

 to dysentery, and also brief reference to the 

 presence of coccidia in certain epithelial 

 growths. The chapter on vegetable para- 

 sites contains reference to ptomaines, toxins, 

 and toxalbumins, as well as an excellent sum- 

 mary of the important question of immunity, 

 though the authors do not commit themselves 

 to any doctrine regarding that subject. 



The subject of infectious diseases induced 

 by the pyogenic bacteria has been rearranged 

 and placed as one of the earlier chapters in 

 the work, which seems to us to be an excel- 

 lent plan. An illustration of the caution dis- 

 played by the authors is shown in the section 

 on lupus, in which reference is made to the 

 fact that, while that disease is a form of tu- 

 bercular inflammation, it is not unlikely that 

 in the clinical group of diseases called lupus 

 there may be lesions that are not caused by 

 the tubercle bacillus, a point that must be 

 decided by more exact bacterial studies. 

 This same caution is shown in accepting the 

 bacillus described by Lustgarten as the cause 

 of syphilitic inflammation. 



The skepticism expressed in the former 

 edition regarding the causative relationship 

 of Loffler's Bacillus diphtheria to diphtheria, 

 has been supplanted by a frank acceptance 

 of that organism, the first sentence in the 

 section on diphtheria defining that as an 

 acute infectious disease caused by the Bacil- 

 lus diphtheria. 



New sections on rhinoscleroma, tetanus, 

 influenza, smallpox, scarlatina, measles, and 

 actinomycosis, and descriptions of the Bacil- 

 lus cedematis maligni, Bacillus pneumonia, 

 and Bacillus coli communis have been added. 



The chapter on tumors contains a refer- 

 ence to the structures that have been found 

 in and between the cells of tumors, " inclu- 

 sions " that the authors consider to be invagi- 

 nated epithelial or other cells, or cell nuclei 

 that have undergone various degenerative 

 metamorphoses, fragmentation, etc. They 

 state that some of the cell inclusions in car- 

 cinoma may be coccidia or allied organisms ; 

 but while not asserting that tumors can not 

 be caused by parasites, they do not believe 

 that adequate ground exists for believing 

 that they are so caused, because the trans- 

 plantation of tumors from one species of ani- 

 mal to another has almost uniformly failed, 



while it has been impossible to cultivate 

 either directly or by inoculation any constant 

 organisms from these morbid growths. This 

 matter is one that is attracting the attention 

 of pathologists in several countries, and the 

 more thorough study of the subject of the 

 etiology of cancer will probably determine 

 the status of the coccidia in relation thereto. 



The section on chronic arteritis has been 

 rewritten, the authors believing that the mor- 

 bid changes in the arteries are the results of 

 a combination of chronic productive inflam- 

 mation and of degeneration occurring in con- 

 nective tissue — a point of view that regards 

 the arteries as definite parts of the body, and 

 as likely to become the seat of chronic in- 

 flammation as the liver or kidneys. 



The subject of colitis is another valuable 

 addition, and the text is enriched by some 

 excellent engravings of the several varieties 

 of pathological conditions that occur in in- 

 flammation of the large intestine. 



In the section on the organs of generation 

 reference is made to the adenomata that lie 

 on the border between the distinctly benign 

 and the definitely malignant new epithelial 

 tissue growths, attention being called to the 

 fact that the more benign forms are extremely 

 prone to develop, both in structure and ma- 

 lignancy, into carcinomata. 



While the substitution of the terms " lymph 

 nodes" and "lymph nodules" for "lymph 

 glands " and " lymph follicles " respectively 

 was recommended in the last edition, the 

 change has been made throughout the text 

 in this volume. 



The work is fully abreast of the scientific 

 knowledge of the day, and it will undoubtedly 

 be accorded a popularity similar to what it 

 has received in the past. 



The Story of Columbus. By Elizabeth 

 Eggleston Seel ye. New York : D. Ap- 

 pleton & Co. Pp. 303. Price, $1. 



This volume is the first of a series enti- 

 tled Delights of History, and a delightful 

 book has been made of it. Beginning with 

 the wonderful journeys of the Polos, and 

 the expeditions sent out by Prince Henry 

 of Portugal, events which may well have 

 fired the imagination of the youthful Co- 

 lumbus, we are brought at length to the 

 gates of Genoa. Here we learn something 

 of the condition of the weavers among whom 



