REVIEWS,

Practical Bacteriology, Microbiology, and Serum Therapy (Medical and Veterinary). A Text-Book for Laboratory Use. By Dr A. Beeson, formerly Director of Bacteriological Laboratories of the Military Hospitals of France, etc. Translated and Adapted from the Fifth French Edition by H. J. Hutchens, D.S.O., M.A., M.R.C.S., etc., Heath Professor of Comparative Pathology and Bacteriology of the University of Durham. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1913. Price, 36/- net.

THERE is not such a superfluity of text-books on bacteriology in the English language that one need regard an addition to the list as unnecessary, and no .doubt both teachers and students will be glad that Dr Hutchens has trans­lated Dr Beeson's work. In its English dress the book runs to nearly '900 octavo pages, and it contains 416 figures illustrating instruments, bacteria, and lesions. The most valuable part is that which deals with .bacteriological technique, and its weakest that which is devoted to bacterial diseases of the lower animals. As an excuse for the meagre account which 1S given of these, it might be said that the work is mainly designed for the .instruction of medical students, and that the veterinary part is sufficient for ,the requirements of medical men. Unfortunately, however, this part is defective not only on account of omissions but also because of numerous inaccuracies. The translator's and publishers' part of the work has been "Very well done, but attention may be called to what is doubtless a printer's error, which might have serious consequences. The directions for preparing mallein for veterinary use are to dilute the crude mallein with nine volumes of 5 per cent. aqueous solution of carbolic acid. A practitioner who tested a horse with such a mixture could not fail to be surprised at the severity of the" local reaction."

Bovine Tuberculosis and its Control. By Veranus Alva Moore, B.S., M.D., V. M.D., Professor of Comparative Pathology, Bacteriology, and Meat Inspection, New York State Veterinary College, Cornell University, and Director of the College. Ithaca, N.Y.: Carpenter & Co., 1913.

PROFESSOR MOORE has been moved to write this book in order to provide -veterinary practitioners and health officers in the United States with a -concise account of the present state of knowledge regarding bovine tuber-culosis. Within the space which he has allowed himself (134 pages) he has dealt as fully as was possible with all important aspects of the subject, 1including etiology, pathology, symptoms, diagnosis, and prevention, and he may be congratulated on having produced a book that is well designed to fulfil the purpose which he had in view. As he himself admits, the subject is a complicated one, and regarding many points there is room for difference ·of opinion. Probably there are many who will not agree with the statement -that" it not infrequently happens that the apparent primary lesions occur on the pleura, peritoneum, meninges, or synovial membranes, while the organs 'remain free from the disease," or think that it is a happy definition of .localised tuberculosis to say that it is the condition in which" the primary