118 Scientific Intelligence. 



ous touches of historical reminiscence and personal experience, can 

 be highly recommended to teachers as an antidote to the familiar 

 uninteresting elementary treatise and a guide to wider reading. 

 It is dedicated to Graham Lusk. l. b. m. 



6. Oxidations and Reductions in the Animal Body ; by H. 

 D. Dakin. Pp. viii, 135. New York, 1912 (Longmans, Green 

 and Co.). — This volume represents a venture into a comparatively 

 new field. Physiologists, on the one hand, have been too prone 

 to think of chemical changes in the body in terms of supposed 

 simple reactions that can be hastily labelled with some vague 

 expression like hydrolysis, oxidation, deamination, or reduction. 

 The chemist, on the other side, has often failed to grasp the lim- 

 itations of reaction set by a biological environment. In Dr. 

 Dakin's monograph we have an attempt at interpretation of bio- 

 chemical processes by one who appreciates the importance, the 

 difficulties, and the limitations of the subject. As one of the 

 pioneer compilations the book furnishes not only a wealth of sig- 

 nificant details, but also a series of carefully weighed deductions 

 and highly suggestive viewpoints. It is novel in its aims and 

 excellent in content. An elaborate bibliography is appended. 



L. B. M. 



1. Soil Conditions and Plant Growth / by Edward J. Rus- 

 sell. Pp. viii, 168. New York, 1912 (Longmans, Green and 

 Co.). — The relation of the soil to plant growth is involved with 

 so many factors which represent variables in a problem of extreme 

 complexity that it is difficult to find any treatise which deals with 

 the broad subject in a comprehensive and, at the same time, crit- 

 ical spirit. Too often the topics have been approached with the 

 prejudice that tends to adhere to anyone who has devoted his 

 attention primarily to one aspect of any subject. He sees with 

 the eyes of the chemist or botanist or geologist or microbiologist 

 alone, and fails to realize that in the questions of soil function an 

 ensemble of diverse fields in science is involved. The result of 

 a narrow attitude is reflected in much of the controversy on the 

 subject of soils that now pervades the literature. Dr. Russell's 

 book, leaning in a chemical direction, shows a good perspective, 

 a sane judgment, and a broad experience. The chapter on the 

 historical development of the study of the growth of plants is an 

 interesting review. The monograph furnishes a readable account 

 of the present status of the subject to the layman ; while the 

 expert will find guidance and suggestion in the viewpoints and 

 the extensive references to published contributions. l. b. m. 



8. The Protein Element in Nutrition; by Major D. McCay, 

 Professor of Physiology, Medical College, Calcutta. New T York, 

 1912 (Longmans, Green & Co.) ; London (Edward Arnold). Pp. xv, 

 216. — This volume is essentially a review and critique of Chitten- 

 den's views regarding the quantitative role of protein in the 

 dietary. The author has collected numerous valuable data 

 regarding the food and metabolism of various races in India, 

 particularly those living on a low plane of nutrition and thus 



