BOOK REVIEWS Illinoin." William C. Rose informs us in the introduction that the original, a doctoral thesis by Young (1782-1804) was discovcred in the Library of the University of Pennsylvania by Dr. C. F. Langmvorthy in 1908 and brought t o the attention of Lafsyette B. Mendel a t Yale, who published a report about it. Young dedicated his thesis, dated June 8, 1803, to Doctor Samuel Young, his father, from whom he received "my first principles in medicine," and t o Benjamin Smith Barton, M.D., in "gratitude for tho many favours received." He starts out, in the good philosophical manner of the time: "Man is endowed with motion, sensation, and thought." Then he quickly comes to "modern" views
and his own experimcnbs on nutrients and digestion. His main equipment consists of a large hull frog (Ranit oeellsta) and a friend who "frequently threw up the contents ot his stomach for me." Water is one of the nutrients. "How simple water e m go t o form a n animal substance, we shall not pretend t o offer a oonjecture; we only state the fact, and shall leave the Hydrogen and Oxygen of the water, together with the different gasses, taken in hy the lungs, t o the chemist, who by variously combining them, may explain the phenomenon (p. 19)." His experiments convince him that Dr. J. S. Dorsey was right in recommending to introduce gastric fluid into the bladder for difisolving "stones." Against much hesitation in the literature he states that the gastric fluid is acidic; unfortunately, a mistaken analogy to Lavoisier's finding
of phosphate in urine leads him t o believe he found phosphoric acid in gastrio fluid. The "living principle" provides him with the answer t o the question, why the stomach itself is not dissolved. These are just a few of the historically interesting things in this work of a grow ing genius who died so young. Rose's introduction is very helpful in giving tho personal background, but it leaves much to he desired with respect to the bintory of science. In future volumes of this series, notes on the historical connections should he added. The reprints could then become better suited as tools far the tearher of science, and the general reader would have less difficulty in seeing more than only quaintness in these documents. EDUARD FARBER Washington,D. C. Experimental Nuclear Physics. Volume 3
Edited by E. Segrk. John Wilay & Sons., Inc., New York, 1959. ix 811 pp. Many figs. and t a b l a . 15.5 X 23.5 em. 123.
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Several years ago the first two volumes of this three-volume ~erieswere pnhliahed. The present volume should receive the same enthusiastic reception accorded its predecessors. I t consists of treatisen on fivc addibional topics, each of vhich is dealt with t,horooghly. In a. serious work it is meaningless to disassociate eaperimental methodr and results from theoretical int,erprptation and the authors have not attempted to do so. Although experimental methods are described, the authors and editor have been mow concerned u'it,h presenting coherent pictures of their entire suhjeets and delineating important rcrent advances as well aa p m h lems yet unsolved. A hrief description of the severnl pnrta of this vdume follorvs: Part VIII (First section of Vol. 3). Radioactivr Decay, hy Emilio Sear? (53 no.). This section describes the hasic of radioactive growth and +cay, unite and standards of intensity, tati is tieal features, and the methods of measuring decay constants. I t contains much of practical value for the experimenter hut,, in addition. has in its presentation more philosophical content than is u~uallyaccorded this subject. Part IX. Alpha-Radioactivity, hy G. C. Hanna (204 pp.). This is an exeellent account of the status of a. fast-moving field, and inoludes important ramifications of alpha-decay studies such as those which pertain to nuclear structure problems. The theoretical content is complete and, Lo this reviewer's knowledge, the discussion of experimental methods is unique. Part X. GammsiRays, by Martin Deutseh and OttoIiofoed-Hansen (168 pp.) The brevity of the title, Gamma-Rays, does not do jnstiee to the material covered in this section. I t is really a comprehensive summary of the several phenomena associated with de-excitation of nuclear excited states and includes both experimental methods and theory. The experimenter will find an excellent discussion
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BOOK REVIEWS of t,eehniques and many useful tables and graphs. Part XI. BetsiRays, by Martin Deutsohand Otto Ibfood-Hansen (213pp.) This is alaraesubject, uarticularly if a non. cursory discussion the man> experimental approaches and associated instrumentation is included. The authors have achieved laudable results in presenting the subject in great depth yet retaining conciseness. Theoretical di~cussion i8 a180 excdlent and includes the recent fundamental discovery of non-conservation of parity in the beta-decay process. Part XII. Particle Aeeclerators, by Edwin M. McMillsn (147 pp.). This srthjeet helongs in any work titled "Experimontal Kuclear Physics," hut is not closely sssoeintcd with the other four parts of this particular volume. The develop-
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