41

these changes in nephritis, like the albuminuria, are alsodue to the action of acid in the kidney. The dis-

turbances in secretion in nephritis are also held to be

due to an abnormal acid content in the kidney. For

the purpose of his thesis Professor Fischer will not admit

that chronic interstitial nephritis should be regarded as aform of nephritis. For him it is an atrophy of the kidney,and the parenchyma cells are normal. He then develops a" colloidal " theory of the excretion of the urinary water bythe renal cells, and attributes the diminished excretion ofwater in nephritis to abnormal production or accumulation ofacid.

The theories put forward are duly applied to the questionof treatment. It is given as a general direction that everycondition which favours the formation or accumulation of

acid in the kidney should be avoided as far as possible. The

entire purpose of the treatment is briefly stated to be thegiving of alkali in order to neutralise the acids present, theintroduction of salt to aid in the reduction of the cedema ofthe kidney and other organs, and the administration of

water in large doses at regular intervals. The salts usedare sodium chloride and sodium carbonate, and they aregiven in water either by the mouth or rectum. Numerous

experiments are described and a few cases are brieflyreported, but they are not of such a character as to convinceus of the correctness of Professor Fischer’s views or of the

efficacy of his treatment.

A Manual of Clinical Chemistry, Microscopy, and Bacteriology.By Dr. M. KLOPSTOCK and Dr. A. KOWARSKY, ofBerlin. Only authorised translation from the last Germanedition, thoroughly revised and enlarged. London:Rebman, Limited. 1912. Pp. 371. Price 12s. 6d. net.

THE second edition of this ’’ Manual of Clinical Chemistry,Microscopy, and Bacteriology," translated into English fromthe last German edition, brings the book well up to date,and that essential to all practical books, an index has beenadded. Although enlarged beyond its former scope the bookdoes not in any way pretend to be a reference work for

those thoroughly conversant with clinical laboratory methods,but rather appeals to students and practitioners who wishthemselves to perform or to understand the increasingnumber of tests appertaining to clinical diagnosis and

treatment.The first three chapters deal with the bacteriological

examination of secretions from the mouth, pharynx, nose,and conjunctiva, including a full description of the bacterio-logical diagnosis of diphtheria. Chapter IV. is devoted tothe examination of the sputum-macroscopic, microscopic,and bacteriological. Chapter V. deals with the qualitativeand quantitative examination of the gastric contents, theonly tests given being those most suitable for each purposein the experience of the authors. In Chapter VI.are described the methods of examining the fasces,and of special value are the directions given for thedetection of typhoid bacilli. The examination of the

urine-chemical, microscopical, and bacteriological-is fullydealt with in the next chapter, whilst Chapter VIII. dealssuccinctly with the examination of urethral and prostaticsecretions. The examination of the blood is detailed in

Chapter IX., and is brought up to date by a description of the original Wassermann reaction. Further chapters aredevoted to the examination of fluids obtained by punctureand of diseases of the skin, whilst the last chapter is ;

especially useful in that it contains the formulas of thecommonly used stains and a detailed account of the con- J

stituents and methods of preparation of the most usefulmedia for the cultivation of bacteria. The authors are moderate throughout in the expression

of their opinions, careful in describing essential details of

technique, and as brief as accuracy allows. The book is

illustrated with plates and drawings, the printing is clear,and the general arrangement of the text is good. The

translation has been adequately performed, though in thiscountry the uninitiated may be puzzled by some of the

terms used—e.g., "Klatschpreparata." " We recommend the

book to those who require a concise guide to modern clinicallaboratory methods.

LIBRARY TABLE.

Robert Koch : Eine biographische Studie. STon Dr.KARL WEZEL, Stabsarzt an der Kaiser Wilhems-Akademiefiir das Militiirarztliche Bildungswesen. Berlin: AugustHirschwald. 1912. Pp.148. Price 3.60 marks.-Any accountof the life of a great man of science is necessarily for themost part an account of his work, and this is true of the

book before us. After a brief introductory section dealingwith Koch’s position as a pioneer in bacteriology, we have achapter devoted to his school days, in which are noted hisearly capacity for hard work, his tendency towards scientificpursuits, and a certain reserve of character which dis-

tinguished him throughout life. The following 16 chaptersdeal with his work in chronological order-a subject whichwas sufficiently treated in our recent review of Koch’s’’ Collected Works." The views here expressed are naturallyappreciative rather than critical. The most interestingchapter in the book is perhaps the eighteenth, which

sketches the personal characteristics of the great observer.A man of middle height, with broad shoulders, a stern

face, lighting up into a pleasant smile, a clear voice and

direct, lucid style, such are the features presented to us.

Pleasant examples are given of his affectionate relationswith his little daughter, and some of his letters to her arequoted at length. A firm friend, a good hater at times, anunsparing worker, a fearless, tireless traveller, Koch was atonce an instance of that side of genius which has been de-scribed as an infinite capacity for taking pains, as well as anexample of the intuitive penetration which is needed to solvethe riddles of nature. His strenuous life hastened in all

probability his death from a cardiac affection at the age of

67. He left behind him a band of distinguished workerswho had been his students and helpers, the names of manyof whom are collected in the nineteenth chapter of this work.The book is well written and well printed, and forms a usefuland readable memoir.

Annual Report of the Veterinary Pathologist for the EastAfrican Protectorate (1909-10 and 1910-11).-Pathologistshave a fine field for work in Africa equally in the diseases ofanimals and in those of man ; in East Africa, until the pastfew years, the field has practically been untrodden. The

report of Mr. Eustace Montgomery, M.R.C.V.S., is interest-ing reading, as showing what work is being done in veterinarypathology in East Africa and how much modern science andmodern serum treatment are being applied in the cure andprevention of diseases of animals. Owing chiefly to thefact that so much of the wealth of Africa depends uponits herds and its agriculture, the laboratories which havebeen founded there are amongst the best and most completelyequipped in the world. Probably the most complete is thatcontrolled by Dr. Arnold Theiler in the Transvaal, but EastAfrica is determined not to be behind, and the laboratory atNairobi, although only recently established, is already in fullswing, preventive sera are being made, and original investi-gations conducted. Horse sickness, rinderpest, East Coastfever, variola, coccidiosis of cattle, and swine fever are

apparently very prevalent, and it is interesting to note in

connexion with the last disease that the conclusion of certain

experiments proved that there were differences between theSouth African variety and the English strain, as pigs which

42

were proved immune to the infection of English swine feverdied when inoculated with the South African variety. A newdisease of sheep, for the moment designated the" Nairobisheep disease," is described. All who are interested in thediseases of stock in Africa will find Mr. Montgomery’s reportworth perusal.

Medicus. Guide Annuaire des Étudiants et des Praticiens(Médecine, Chirurgie, Odontologie, Pharmacie). 40e année.1912-13. Paris: - Aim6 Rouzatid. Pp. 1720. Price 5 francs.-This useful work of reference contains a valuable informa-tion relative to French medical men and the practice ofmedicine in France. Part I. deals with the Ministry ofPublic Instruction, the University of Paris, the Teachingof Medicine and Pharmacy, the Faculty of Medicine

of Paris, Military, Naval, and Colonial Medicine, Den-

tistry, the Assistance Publique of Paris, the Instituteof Colonial Medicine, Midwives, Lunatic Asylums, the

Pasteur Institute and Hospital, Free Instruction, Scien-

tific Societies, and Students’ Societies. Part II.

comprises an account of the Provincial and Colonial

Faculties of Medicine, and gives a list of the principalFrench and Foreign Medical Journals. Part III. lists the

principal Foreign Medical Faculties and Schools throughoutthe world. Part IV. constitutes a Dictionary of LegalMedicine. Part V. comprises the regulations concerning thePractice of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Public Health in

France and the Colonies, Industrial Accidents, BenevolentSocieties, Medical Syndicates, Mineral Water Stations in

France, the Colonies, and Abroad, Sanatoriums and Rest-

houses, and Medical Institutions. Part VI. is a Directory,alphabetical and local, of Medical Men, Stomatologists,Officers of Health, Dentists, and Pharmacists in Paris,the Departments, and the Colonies. In regard to

this last, we think that the custom of giving onlythe surnames, without initials even, materially detractsfrom the usefulness of the book as a directory, particularlyin relation to the identification of medical men. For

instance, there are listed among provincial practitionersno less than 30 Laurents, of whom only 10 have any dis-tinguishing name or initial given. This year are addedillustrations of the principal French hospitals and Faculties.A more careful revision of the data concerning foreignmedical schools is desirable, and there are not a few

omissions of more or less importance, e.g., the National

University of Ireland, with its constituent Colleges of

Dublin, Cork, and Galway, the Queen’s University of

Belfast, and several schools of a high order in the UnitedStates. ’

:

JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES.Annals of Tropioal Tleliciiie and Parasitology. Series c

T. M., Vol. VI., No. 3, B.-This is a very interesting number t

in view of the many valuable papers contained in it. The r

first contribution is supplied jointly by Dr. K. S. Wise andDr. E. P. Minett, respectively Government bacteriologist 2and assistant Government bacteriologist to the colony of I

British Guiana, and in it they give the result of their experi- ments with crude carbolic acid as a larvicide. The local 1

circumstances of the colony are such as to make the choice -of a suitable larvicide difficult, but for small pools it was I

found that at a dilution of 1 in 20,000 effective destruction t:

of the larvas could be secured with the crude acid.-" The t:

Morphology of Trypanosoma Gambiense and T. Rhodesiense in Cultures, and a Comparison with the Developmental a

Forms described in GIossina Palpalis," is the title of e,

a joint paper by Dr. John Gordon Thomson and Lieu- a,

tenant J. A. Sinton, L.M.S. This investigation, it a:

appears, was undertaken at the suggestion of Sir Ronald SE

Ross. It was found that both of these trypanosomes ti

were capable of being cultivated on artificial media,

r but T. rhodesiense was more difficult to cultivate than

T. gambiense; the life-history of both trypanosomes ini culture tubes is similar to that which occurs in the gut ofthe insect host. The cultures quickly lose their infectivity,t and intraperitoneal injections of them into rats, after the

third day, have failed to cause infection. Cultures ofsT. rhodesiense seem to differ from those of T. gambiense ; in. the former typical posterior nuclear forms, such as have. been described by Stephens and Fantham, are relatively- common, whereas in cultures of the latter they are of very rare occurrence. Although the so-called "male" andr ° female forms were present in the cultures no definite

evidence was obtained of a sexual cycle. This valuable’ paper is illustrated by three excellent plates.-Captain W. S.’ Patton, I.M.S., furnishes an article on Spirochasta Cteno-! cephali (spec. nov.) parasitic in the Indian dog-flea,! Ctenocephalus felis; he also, in conjunction with Major

T. H. Symons, I.M.S., supplies a report upon an out-

break of canine paraplasmosis due to Paraplasma gibsoni(spec. nov. Patton) among the hounds of the Madras hunt;these experts also add some observations on the treatment of

the disease by salvarsan.-Lieutenant J. A. Sinton, LM.S.,describes some attempts which he made at the cultivation ofthe malarial parasite by Bass’s method ; the same observeralso contributes a short article on Urriola’s test for malarial

infection.-In continuation of a previous paper Dr. CharlesSinger gives a further series of notes on some early referencesto tropical medicine, including Andre Thevet’s views in 1558upon the identity of yaws and syphilis, certain very earlyreferences to dracontiasis, the guinea-worm disease (withillustrations), and the measures taken in Paris in 1533 toprevent the spread of plague (with plate).-Dr. H. 0.

Fantham, D.Sc., furnishes a short note upon the Occurrenceand Distribution of Herpetomonas Pediculi, a parasite whichis known now to occur in human body lice and in headlice in England, and in body lice in India and Tunisia.-The last contribution is supplied by Dr. A. Kinghorn andDr. Warrington Yorke in the form of the fifth interim reportof the Luangwa Valley Sleeping Sickness Commission of theBritish South Africa Company, in which they discuss theinfluence of meteorological conditions on the development ofT. rhodesiense in the Glossina morsitans fly. These observers

found that the developmental cycle of T. rhodesiense in

G. morsitans is to a marked extent influenced by thetemperature to which the flies are subjected. Hightempera-tures (750 to 850 F.) favour the development of the parasite,while low temperatures (600 to 700 F.) are unfavourable toit. In a postscript to the report it is stated that some

experiments made later show that while the first part of thedevelopmental cycle can occur at a comparatively lowtemperature, the higher temperature mentioned above is

necessary for the completion of the cycle., Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology. Vol. V.,No. 4. Edited by E. A. SCHÄFER, F. GOTCH, W. D.

HALLIBURTON, C. S. SHERRINGTON, E. H. STARLING, andA. D. WALLER. London : Charles Griffin and Co., Limited.1912. Pp. 309-411. Price 6s., including contents of Vol. V.-Under the title of "The Vascularity of the Liver ’’RussellBurton-Opitz, of Columbia University, continues his con-tributions on this subject (VIII., IX., and X.).. The first ofthe series deals with the Influence of Adrenalin (1 in 10,000solution) on the Arterial Inflow. This drug was used to giveadditional evidence that the arterial radicles of the liver areequipped with a very efficient vasomotor mechanism. Theadrenalin was introduced by two methods : one by the vein sand the other by the circuit of the hepatic artery. Thesecond contribution deals with the Influence of Inhala-tions of Amyl Nitrite upon the Arterial Inflow. The

arterial flow through the liver decreases markedly as