682 Analyses of Books. [November, 
died in about three-quarters of an hour. Similar was the case 
at Paris, which, though it occurred a couple of years ago, has 
only been recently reported on. 
In explanation of the widely discrepant statements as to the 
resistance of the human body, Dr. Stone points to the highly 
insulating character of the human skin when dry, and the con- 
sequent difficulty of insuring contact. Some of the methods 
used, if applied to animals, would be branded and punished as 
“ vivisection.” But into the corpus vile of man it is legitimate 
to make holes for the purpose of securing contadt. 
The resistance of human subjedts varies. In a diabetic patient 
the resistance from foot to foot was 1210 ohms; in a healthy, 
athletic young man, 930. In paralysis of one side, the resistance 
on the affedted side of the system is generally about 300 ohms 
less than on the healthy side. 
Another interesting fadt is that the resistance is decidedly 
modified by the absorption of metals which takes place in certain 
trades. In a coppersmith the author found a difference of nearly 
300 ohms between the hand with which he held the hammer — 
which was impregnated with copper — and the other hand. Mer- 
cury lessens the resistance very distinctly. 
Contrary to what is often asserted, the nerves are remarkably 
bad conductors; muscles are much better; and water, serous 
fluids, and saline solutions better still. Thus when dropsy ensues 
the resistance goes down to one-half. 
Dr. Stone does not accept the statements made of the influence 
of magnets on the animal body. “ He had tried the experiment 
on a large scale, and it was now being repeated by a Society in 
his laboratory [the Society for Psychical Research ?], but ex- 
cepting the imagined sight of flames by some hysterical girls 
nobody had been able to point to any effect whatever produced 
by magnets.” 
Longman's Magazine. No. 24, October, 1884. London : 
Longmans and Co. 
There is little, very little, in this issue which can at all come 
within our notice. 
“ Norway once More,” by J. A. Froude, is a curious produc- 
tion. He finds “ bilberries as large as grapes I ” But literary 
characters, historians, and politicians are not trained observers, 
and we must allow them some latitude. 
“ Abjectness ” is a curious subject to write about in an age 
one of whose characteristics is gratuitous insolence. 
“ Sea-Sand Grass as a Land-Winner,” by F. A. Paley, is a 
