Reviews and Notices

ELEMENTS OF A4.ATOMY, by JONES QUAIN, M.D. Sixth Edition, edited by WILLIAMI SHARPEY, M.D., F.R.S., and GEORGE VIriER ELLIS, Professors of Anatomy and Physiology in University College, London. Three volumes. London: Walton and Maberly. 1856. DzMoxST&ATIONS oF ANATOMY: A GUIDE TO THE1KNOWLEGE OF THE HUMAN BODY BY DISSECTION. By GEORGE VNER ELLIS. Fourth Edition. pp. 832. London: Walton and Maberly. 1MU5f. HANDBOOK OiF PHYSIOLOGY. By WILLIAM SErNOUSE KIRKES, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians; Assistant-Physician to, and Lecturer on Botany and Vegetable Physiology at, St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Third Edition. pp. 738. London: Walton and Maberly. 180G. The student who has just commenced his career in the Lndon hospitals, is to be congratulated on the appearance of the new editions of the works whose titles are given above. They are not, it is true, new works, and therefore require none of the obstetric aid of the reviewer to bring them into the literary world. But as books, like all things in the world, have their periods of glory anad of decadence, we must say that the works on Anatomy and Physiology before us have as yet no superiors in our country; and that the present editions are fully entitled to all the favour which has been bestowed on their predecessors. In the Elements of Anat0omy, the part on General Anatomy has been carefully revised, and brought down to the state of knowledge at the time of publication, by Professor SHARPEY. The Descriptive Anatomy has been revised by Professor ELLIS; the former co-editor, Professor R. Quain, being prevented by his professional avocations from giving that attention to the work which its importance demands, and which he so ably bestowed on it on a previous occasion. In this department, ib is true, much novelty is not to be expected; but we are much gratified at observing that the editors have adopted the views of Professor Owen with regard to the structure of vertebra. This is, we believe, a new feature in anatomical works, excepting the monograph of Mr. Holden on Human Oae*oto,y. The present edition is published in small octavo-a. much more eonvenient size than that of the former editions; the price is also lower. Mr. ELLIS'S valuable aid to the dissector has undergone a careful revision, and is brought down to the present state of knowledge. We observe with satisfaction an inclination on the part of the author to eschew the absurd practice of giving Latin names to parts and structures, for which a sufficiently expressive Saxon appellation exists. Thus the word " axilla" is displaced in favour of " armpit", and the " extremities" are called "limbs". A little more simplification in our medical nomenclature would be desirable. Dr. KIRKEs'S Handbook is, as it has always been, an excellent epitome of our knowledge of physiology. Containing an epitome of the leading doctrines of the science, and written in a generally readable style, it cannot fail to give a very fair insight into the functions of those tissues and organs, of which Quain's Anatomy and Ellis's Demonration* lucidly describe the structure and amragement.