Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/345

 Aprii, 17, 1886.1

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��About 1830 the cell-doctrine was accepted, so far as concerned the vegetaWe kingdom, That it was also applicable to animals, was stated by Dutrochet iu 1824 ; but it remained for SchwaDD to prove in bis classical treatise (1839) the correctness of this thesis. From lliat time the cellular theory may be regarded 8a definitely established. Its extension to the explanation of certain pathological processes by Goodsir (1845) and Virchow (1859) was a noteworthy advance.

All this time the definition of the cell, ac- cepted at the time of Valentin's work, was un- dei^oing modification. The protoplasm was discovered, and its fundamental importance recognized.' Bit by bit the essential structure of cells was simplified, until now the term de- notes nothing but an independent particle of protoplasm. This particle may have, and often has, a nucleus in it, and a cell-wall aroimd it ; -but botli may_ be absent, and the liny mass live and grow and multiply. Such modifications, in our conceptions as to what parts are ne- cessary to the constniction of a cell, do not, however, in any way essenfially alter the cell- . doctrine : it still remains a fundamental truth, the basis oj all morphology and phjsiology.

.Of late yeare a-vast number of important papers have appeared, dealing with the struc- ture and the properties of cells. They are scattered over tjie pages of many journals, and written in maaj' languages ; and the time had oome for some one to collect and unify lliem. A good summary of the more important results of the work of the past twenty years, and a bibliography, aiding those desiring more de- tailed infoimation to find it iu original sources, was a necessity. Canon Carnoy undertook this task ; and, so far as the present fascicule of his treatise on the ' Cellular biology ' goes, has performed it well. The instalment pub- lished contains two hundred and seventy-oue pages, of which, however, only the final hun- dred deal dii'ectly with cells. The introduc- tory pages contain an exposition of the objects and methods of education, which we heartily commend lo all teachers of natural history ; also directions tn histological technique, whid^, for students of general biology, are more use- ful than those in any test-book of microscopy with which we are acquainted.

The subjects discussed in the final hundred pages are as follows : discovery of the cell and of its parts ; elementary organisms ; the cellu- lar biology ; pi'oloplusm ; the proijerties of liv- ing matter ; the general structure of the cell, and its newer definitions; the structure and general composition of protoplasm and nucleus ;

��the general laws of the cell ; the structure and composition of the nucleus in detail. The last topic occupies more than sixty pages, and is of great value as bringing together in con- venient form the main results of the many re- searches on nuclei made during the last ten years.

An important and gratifying feature of the book is that its illustrntions are not only good, but new. It is difficult to express fully our gratitude for this : those who have been wea- ried by seeing the same veteran woodcuts dragged out once more for duty in each new text-book, will, however, appreciate the glad- ness with which we greet these new, and in most cases better ones.

While we heartily commend Canon Carnoy's book for its scientific merits, we think that it has another claim to the attention of all wlio are interested in the progrcssof human thought : it marks Ibe close of an epoch. Writt«n by a professor in a Catholic university, in a Catholic country, and utilizing and accepting as it does the results attained by the best biological work- ers and thinkers independently of all theological prejudice, itis a sign, among many, that modern biology has won its battle. There will still be occasional echoes of the struggle, and we may for some time to come meet such instances of persecution as that to which Professor Wood- row was recently subjected ; but the war is over. The religious world in general recog- nizes daily with greater clearness that science is not necessarily irreligious ; and that the conviction that our universe has been devel- oped and is governed in accordance with im- mutable laws, is compatible with belief in an all- wise Law-giver.

��From a scientific point of view, the ' Report ofthc Mount Whitney expedition of 1881 'is un- questionably one of the moat important volumes which has ever been issued by our govern- ment. It presents fiitly and clearly, not only the observations made upon the mountain, with their results, but also much of the preliminary work and discussion which showed the need of such an expedition, together with a description of the ingenious and delicate apparatus devised by Professor Langley for the investigation.

Kr^rarrhcA on t^^ ti^lar hrol,and (U abivtrpaon hf IMi tartX'i nhnorpheif. A Trporl on Ihi Jtounl WAIInry apKHtUn. By

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