492 
[August, 
Analyses of Books. 
a Catechism of the Gospels the year the “ 0r *^" 5 ?Eneared 
was published, and who, when the “ Descent of Man _ »PP« r “ 
was Pastor of St. Thomas's Square Chapel, Hackney , bu 
has— the day this review is sent to the Editor-been el 
Member for Leicester), his prayers will include “ Save me fro 
Mr. Cattell remarks upon Mr. Darwin’s “ freedom from dogma- 
tism,” and tells us that “ He traces the objections to .his the y 
to the ‘ arrogance of our forefathers, which made them dedare 
that they were descended from demi-gods, 
differently quoted by Dr. St. George Mivart on more than one 
occasion. 
Corpulence, and its Treatment on Physiological 
Dr W. Ebstein. Translated from the Sixth Geima 
Edition by Prof. A. H. Keane, B.A. London : H. Grevel. 
We have here a work differing widely from the well-known 
treatise of Banting. Prof. Ebstein investigates physiologically 
Jhe causes, the conditions, and the collateral effefts of that state 
of body known as corpulence or, in its more extreme stage , 
obesity. He shows that the phenomenon in question, though Re- 
garded as pathological, and as therefore to be cured, is not maiked 
off by any sharp boundary from the normal condition. In a 
healthy new-born child the proportion of fat ranges from 9 to 18 
per cent of the entire weight. In adults the normal proportion 
according to Bedard and Quernay, is 5 per cent [ or men and f ° r 
women. We find a notice of the discussion whether the fixed 
connective tissue cells and the adipose cells are identical, 01 
whether, as Toldt maintains, the fatty tissue of vertebrate ammals 
is a special organ. All observers, however, still agree that every 
connective tissue cell may under certain conditions be transformed 
into a fat cell. The liver is the only organ which evei under 
physiological conditions accumulates fat, and it is the one which 
most readily passes into the state of fatty degeneration. _ 
In opposition to a very common error Dr. Ebstein maintains 
that the hurtful influence of corpulency on mental activity has 
been much over-rated. He shows, however, that as regards 
health its ill effedls are often overlooked. Obesity in its more 
advanced stages is always accompanied by anaemia, and veiy ire- 
q U As t regard ° ^he "pradic^l treatment of corpulency the author 
shows that the remedies often recommended are sometimes inju- 
rious, or merely temporary in their action, and sometimes fail 
altogether. Inaction is generally and rightly supposed to pro- 
mote corpulence in man, as it aids the fattening process in swine, 
