LIBRARY TABLE.
1
1506 .-and in the fever wards of London, doubtless provided much of the material upon which the former relied ’for his successful encounters with ignorance and prejudice. The book deserves to be commended to the study of all ’those who are interested in the further progress of sanitary reform. LIBRARY TABLE. Self-Help for Nervous Women: Familiar Talks on Eeononcy in Nervous Expenditure. By JOHN K. MITCHELL, M.D. London: William Heinemann. 1909. Pp. 202. Price 2s. 6d.- i The author of this book has had ample experience in ’Philadelphia of studying nervous diseases, and is in a position to speak with authority as a physician to phy- sicians. This little book is, however, addressed to patients and relatives of patients ; it is free from the technicalities - of medicine and written in a style familiar and easy but not -devoid of dignity and signs of careful composition. The ’whole book is thoroughly good sense. Dr. Mitchell is quite ’free from fads in his survey of this fad-ridden subject, and he has a very good sense of proportion in his estimate of the causative factors of neurasthenia and other questions con. cerned in its study. Thus he insists that "nervousness" " is a symptom, rather than a pathological entity, though he lays stress later on the important point that all cases of neurasthenia are the result of starvation of nerve cells, and he is quite alive to the fre- "quency of intestinal intoxication as a causation. In the -author’s opinion it is clear that trauma as the determining origin of mild neurasthenia has been unfortunately over- exaggerated by the medical profession ; where slight acci- dents appear t) start neurasthenia there must have been gradual preparation of the nervous system for a long ante- cedent period. We have translated ideas found in Dr. Mitchell’s book into the language of the neurologist, but he expresses them very simply and easily in ordinary colloquial phrases, and shows thereby that he has acquired great prac- tice in advising laymen on such matters. There are some excellent remarks on religion and suggestion, and in the con- cluding chapter a very sound and temperate criticism on the Emmanuel movement, a method which Dr. Mitchell considers undesirable or impracticable for most ministers to attempt, however successful in the hands of its originators. The broad common-sense of the remarks on the food of neurasthenics commends itself to us especially. There are also admirable suggestions on the training of mild neuras- thenics in the arrangement and plotting of their time and occupations, things which we all know to be essential in giving practical advice. This book may be placed with advantage to physician and patient in the hands of the mothers, relatives, or advisers of the latter. Astronomical Curiosities, .F’acts, and Fallacies. By J. ELLARD GORE. London: Chatto and Windus. 1909. Pp. 370. Price 6s. net.-Astronomy is a subject about - which there is perhaps more general ignorance than about .anything else, and considering that simple astronomical phenomena are to be seen on most days and nights of the year, even in such a cloudy and sunless year as the present, this is by no means a creditable state of things. Mr. Gore’s interesting little book is perhaps somewhat advanced for the amateur astronomer, even for him who has arrived at the fact that the moon as a crescent, popularly called ’new," sets only a little after the sun, and that the full moon rises as the sun sets. But anyone who has even a .rudimentary knowledge of the heavenly bodies will be iinspired to learn something more than he knows by reading Mr. Gore’s pages. Medicine nowadays has but little to do - with the motions, positions, or composition of the stars and planets, except in so far that certain of the sun’s rays may have some influence upon metaholism, or may exercise an influence upon pathogenic bacilli. But it is good for all of us to have some knowledge of the stars and of the phenomena by which we are surrounded, and Mr. Gore has brought together a number of interesting facts and fallacies about astronomical matters. A small amount of astronomical know- ledge is of value in general reading and necessary to the comprehension of many passages in the earlier medical writers and the classics. Wlty Worry? By GEORGE LINCOLN WALTON, M.D., Consulting Neurologist to the Massachusetts General Hos.. pital. London: William Heinemann. 1909. Pp. 275. Price 2s. 6d.-This is one of the " Simple Life Series," which appears to derive its family name because the volumes are issued in order to be purchased by the victims of conditions which are the reverse of a simple life. Slight and trite describes the volume. The opening chapters drag in hasty sketches of Epicurus and Marcus Aurelius, with a few apophthegmata culled from them. The remainder is a seiies of rambling disquisitions not devoid of humour on neuras- thenia, hypochondria, insomnia, and kindred subjects ; but we very gravely doubt if " worriers," neurasthenics, and hypo- chondriacs would derive any benefit from the book. It is a pleasure to find the author insisting on the proper pro- nunciation of neurasthenia. Exception may be taken to the use of the word "fad," as employed by Dr. Walton. The word is interesting because philologists can assign no derivation, but it is of entirely modern use. Murray’s Dictionary defines it as "a crotchety rule of action "-" a peculiar notion as to the right way of doing something," which seems an admirable description of the meaning. The author, however, employs it as a synonym for "hobby," and his chapter on the cultivation of the hobby is excellent, quite the best in the book. The Climate of Strathpeffer. By H. W. KAYE, M. D. Oxon. London : Sonnenschein and Co. 1909. Pp. 64. Price 2s. 6d.--A third of this volume consists of a dry and some- what weakly written abstract of the principles of elementary meteorology ; the remaining pages, which are of real value, give a careful synopsis of the peculiarities of the climate of Strathpeffer. Dr. Kaye presents a number of statistical tables in proof of the claims he makes in favour of a climate which is of small area, and the resultant of unusual geographical features. The climate of Strathpeffer is very peculiar and can only be appreciated by those who have experienced it. To visitors interested in meteorology this modest but accurate little brochure will be of assistance. JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES. The Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science. Edited by Sir RAY LANEESTER, K.C.B., F. R. S., with the ccii ppration of ADAM SEDGWICK, F. R. S., SYDNEY J. HICKSON, l’ R.S., and E. A. MINCHIN, M.A. London: J. and A. Churchill. New Series, No. 214 (Vol. LIV., Part II.). October, 1909. Price 10s. net.-This part contains four memoirs, of which the first is on Dendrosoma radians, Ehrenberg, by Sydney J. Hickson and J. T. Wadsworth, with a plate. Dendrosoma is an acine- tarian allied to trichophrya, lernæophrya, and astrophrya. It was first described by Ehrenberg and subsequently by Claparede and Lachmann. It has been found in Europe and in the United States. it appears to feed on euplotes and on paramecium. Reproduction is effected by the formation of internal buds or gemmules, which are plano- convex in form and have several contractile vacuoles and a broad band of cilia. Their development is described. 2. On the Structure of the Excretory Organs of Amphioxus, by Edwin S. Goodrich, F.R.S., with five plates and one text figure. Mr. Goodrich is firmly convinced that the internal funnels of the nephridia opening into the dorsal or hyperbranchid cœlom described
Transcript of LIBRARY TABLE.
1506
.-and in the fever wards of London, doubtless providedmuch of the material upon which the former relied
’for his successful encounters with ignorance and prejudice.The book deserves to be commended to the study of all
’those who are interested in the further progress of sanitaryreform.
LIBRARY TABLE.
Self-Help for Nervous Women: Familiar Talks on Eeononcyin Nervous Expenditure. By JOHN K. MITCHELL, M.D.London: William Heinemann. 1909. Pp. 202. Price 2s. 6d.- iThe author of this book has had ample experience in
’Philadelphia of studying nervous diseases, and is in a
position to speak with authority as a physician to phy-sicians. This little book is, however, addressed to patientsand relatives of patients ; it is free from the technicalities- of medicine and written in a style familiar and easy but not-devoid of dignity and signs of careful composition. The
’whole book is thoroughly good sense. Dr. Mitchell is quite’free from fads in his survey of this fad-ridden subject, andhe has a very good sense of proportion in his estimate of thecausative factors of neurasthenia and other questions con.cerned in its study. Thus he insists that "nervousness" "
is a symptom, rather than a pathological entity, thoughhe lays stress later on the important point that all
cases of neurasthenia are the result of starvation of
nerve cells, and he is quite alive to the fre-
"quency of intestinal intoxication as a causation. In the
-author’s opinion it is clear that trauma as the determiningorigin of mild neurasthenia has been unfortunately over-exaggerated by the medical profession ; where slight acci-dents appear t) start neurasthenia there must have been
gradual preparation of the nervous system for a long ante-cedent period. We have translated ideas found in Dr.Mitchell’s book into the language of the neurologist, but heexpresses them very simply and easily in ordinary colloquialphrases, and shows thereby that he has acquired great prac-tice in advising laymen on such matters. There are some
excellent remarks on religion and suggestion, and in the con-cluding chapter a very sound and temperate criticism onthe Emmanuel movement, a method which Dr. Mitchellconsiders undesirable or impracticable for most ministersto attempt, however successful in the hands of its originators.The broad common-sense of the remarks on the food ofneurasthenics commends itself to us especially. There arealso admirable suggestions on the training of mild neuras-thenics in the arrangement and plotting of their time andoccupations, things which we all know to be essential in
giving practical advice. This book may be placed withadvantage to physician and patient in the hands of the
mothers, relatives, or advisers of the latter.
Astronomical Curiosities, .F’acts, and Fallacies. By J.
ELLARD GORE. London: Chatto and Windus. 1909.
Pp. 370. Price 6s. net.-Astronomy is a subject about
- which there is perhaps more general ignorance than about.anything else, and considering that simple astronomical
phenomena are to be seen on most days and nights of theyear, even in such a cloudy and sunless year as the present,this is by no means a creditable state of things. Mr. Gore’s
interesting little book is perhaps somewhat advanced forthe amateur astronomer, even for him who has arrived atthe fact that the moon as a crescent, popularly called
’new," sets only a little after the sun, and that the full
moon rises as the sun sets. But anyone who has even a
.rudimentary knowledge of the heavenly bodies will be
iinspired to learn something more than he knows by readingMr. Gore’s pages. Medicine nowadays has but little to do- with the motions, positions, or composition of the stars andplanets, except in so far that certain of the sun’s rays may
have some influence upon metaholism, or may exercise aninfluence upon pathogenic bacilli. But it is good for all ofus to have some knowledge of the stars and of the phenomenaby which we are surrounded, and Mr. Gore has broughttogether a number of interesting facts and fallacies aboutastronomical matters. A small amount of astronomical know-
ledge is of value in general reading and necessary to the
comprehension of many passages in the earlier medical
writers and the classics.
Wlty Worry? By GEORGE LINCOLN WALTON, M.D.,Consulting Neurologist to the Massachusetts General Hos..pital. London: William Heinemann. 1909. Pp. 275.Price 2s. 6d.-This is one of the " Simple Life Series," whichappears to derive its family name because the volumes areissued in order to be purchased by the victims of conditionswhich are the reverse of a simple life. Slight and tritedescribes the volume. The opening chapters drag in hastysketches of Epicurus and Marcus Aurelius, with a few
apophthegmata culled from them. The remainder is a seiiesof rambling disquisitions not devoid of humour on neuras-thenia, hypochondria, insomnia, and kindred subjects ; butwe very gravely doubt if " worriers," neurasthenics, and hypo-chondriacs would derive any benefit from the book. It is a
pleasure to find the author insisting on the proper pro-nunciation of neurasthenia. Exception may be taken to
the use of the word "fad," as employed by Dr. Walton.The word is interesting because philologists can assign noderivation, but it is of entirely modern use. Murray’sDictionary defines it as "a crotchety rule of action "-" a
peculiar notion as to the right way of doing something,"which seems an admirable description of the meaning. The
author, however, employs it as a synonym for "hobby," andhis chapter on the cultivation of the hobby is excellent, quitethe best in the book.
The Climate of Strathpeffer. By H. W. KAYE, M. D. Oxon.London : Sonnenschein and Co. 1909. Pp. 64. Price
2s. 6d.--A third of this volume consists of a dry and some-what weakly written abstract of the principles of elementarymeteorology ; the remaining pages, which are of real value,give a careful synopsis of the peculiarities of the climate ofStrathpeffer. Dr. Kaye presents a number of statisticaltables in proof of the claims he makes in favour of a climatewhich is of small area, and the resultant of unusual
geographical features. The climate of Strathpeffer is very
peculiar and can only be appreciated by those who have
experienced it. To visitors interested in meteorology thismodest but accurate little brochure will be of assistance.
JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES.
The Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science. Edited bySir RAY LANEESTER, K.C.B., F. R. S., with the ccii ppration ofADAM SEDGWICK, F. R. S., SYDNEY J. HICKSON, l’ R.S., andE. A. MINCHIN, M.A. London: J. and A. Churchill. New
Series, No. 214 (Vol. LIV., Part II.). October, 1909. Price10s. net.-This part contains four memoirs, of which the firstis on Dendrosoma radians, Ehrenberg, by Sydney J. Hicksonand J. T. Wadsworth, with a plate. Dendrosoma is an acine-tarian allied to trichophrya, lernæophrya, and astrophrya.It was first described by Ehrenberg and subsequently byClaparede and Lachmann. It has been found in Europe andin the United States. it appears to feed on euplotes and onparamecium. Reproduction is effected by the formation ofinternal buds or gemmules, which are plano- convex in form andhave several contractile vacuoles and a broad band of cilia.Their development is described. 2. On the Structure of the
Excretory Organs of Amphioxus, by Edwin S. Goodrich,F.R.S., with five plates and one text figure. Mr. Goodrichis firmly convinced that the internal funnels of the nephridiaopening into the dorsal or hyperbranchid cœlom described
