236 
Analyses o\ Books. 
[April, 
As to the vexed question of the identity or non-identity of 
nerve-force and electricity the author inclines to the nega ive 
view. He cites as distinctions that nerve-force travels only at 
the rate of 200 feet per second, whilst eledtricity may traverse a 
wire at the speed of 462,000,000 feet per second; that nerve- 
force is not conduCtible along a wire: that cold diminishes the 
conduaivity of nerves for nerve-force, whilst it mcieases the 
conduaivity of both solids and fluids for elearicity ; and that the 
crushing or compression of a nerve destroys its power of trans- 
mitting nerve-force. To this it might be added that the nerves 
are not superior to other animal tissues as conduaors of eledtn- 
Clt It is mentioned that, according to the interesting researches 
of Dr. Poore, the passage of a continuous current through t ie 
muscles, or the nerves supplying them, increases their suscepti- 
bility to the stimulus of the will, and also their endurance for 
voluntary muscular action. “ He found that a weight of 17 ozs 
could be held out in the hand at right angles to the body for 
double the time when a continuous current was passed throug 1 
the arm than when no electricity was used. He also found that 
the force of voluntary muscular adtion measured by the dynamo- 
meter could be very greatly increased by the passage through 
the arm of a galvanic current. It was found that galvanism in- 
creased the force of the squeeze of his own hand about 11 bs. 
Dr. Steavenson even suggests that racial and national chaiac- 
teristics may be influenced by the eledtric conditions of climate. 
The last passage which space allows us to notice is only too 
significant. The author refers to a hint which he threw out in a 
previous thesis on Asthma that “ possibly the varying eledtneal 
conditions of the atmosphere might explain the seemingly un- 
accountable conditions which influence and produce an attack ot 
the disease.” But he further adds “ Since then the struggle for 
existence which young physicians have to maintain has prevented 
me devoting the time I could have wished to investigate this 
theory further.” To those whose eyes are open this simple sen- 
tence is a very handwriting on the wall of that huge sham, out 
modern civilisation. To those who cannot, or rather will not, 
see, the interpretation would be useless. . . 
Dr Steavenson in this thesis does good service by calling the 
attention of competent and qualified physiologists and physicians 
to an agency which has been too long abandoned to quacks. 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. Vol. XVIII., 
Part 1, 1885. 
This issue contains the Annual Report of the Geological Survey 
and of the Calcutta Geological Museum for the year 1884. 
