Studies in Human Biology. By RAYMOND PEARL. Professor of Biometry and Vital Statistics in the School of Hygiene and Public Health and of Biology in the Medical School of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Published by The Williams & Wilkins Company, Baltimore, 1924. 650 pages and 123 charts. Cloth. Price $8.00.

This volume consists of material largely derived from papers previously published by the author in various scientific journals but no longer available in a separate form. As the result of a demand for their reprinting the old material has been revised and carefully edited, and new matter added. Its unity consists in the point of view of its author, and this indicates a distinct flavor of individuality. The book is divided into four parts. Part I treats of man as an animal; Part II of the biological aspects of Vital Statistics; Part III of Public Health and Epidemiology; Part IV of the population problem. All of these contain matter of great interest to the student of medicine and the medical

practitioner but the latter will find especially interesting chapters in Parts II and III, in which such subjects as congenital malformations, infant mortality, mortality and evolution, vitality of the peoples of America, trends of vital indices, constitution and tuberculosis influence of physical activity upon mortality, longevity of the parents of the tuberculous and the cancerous, comparative mortality of man with that of other animals, food waste, epidemiology of influenza, epidemic encephalitis, and others are treated from the standpoints of biology, vital statistics, biometry and anthropology. These can all be read by the general practitioner to his great enlightment and profit, perhaps also with some surprise or shock to a satisfied optimism, if he possess that. Much of the hot air of superficial preventive medicine propaganda will be cooled by a perusal of these pages, but the final result should be to help preventive medicine to a surer foundation of scientific truth. The book should be read by all who are interested in human biology.

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HE activities of the Medical Department of the Army are wide-spread and varied, involving to a greater or less degree all the different branches of medical science. The practice of medicine in the Army differs from that in civil life principally in that, in addition to treating disease, the medical officer must also solve the medical problems incident to mobilization, combat, and the military occupation of foreign territory. Because of the varied functions of the Medical Department, medical officers have been afforded many opportunities to contribute to, and assist in, the advances which have been made in American medicine. These contributions have covered a wide range; some consisting of the results of research work; others dealing with the application of abstract theories in the solution of concrete problems. At times the studies related to individuals only, or again, whole populations would be involved. Some have been of great practical value, while others were of scientific. interest only.

During the century and a half which the Medical Department of the

Read before the American College of Physicians, March 12, 1925, Washington, D. C.

ANNALS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, VOL. III, NO. 12

Army in one form or another has existed, its members have made a great many contributions to medical science, but in this short paper I propose to discuss only those which have proved to be of the greatest and lasting value to the medical profession of America or have influenced the economic development of the country.

Contributions made by the medical officers who served during the Revolutionary War are all of historical interest, and some were of fundamental value to American medicine.

In 1775 Surgeon John Jones of the American Army published a treatise on Wounds and Fractures which is said to be the first medical treatise of any length published in America. John Morgan and William Shippen, the first Surgeons-General of the American Army, were pioneers in medical education and the principal founders of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania. Benjamin Rush, Surgeon-General of the Middle Department in 1775, and later Physician-General, wrote the first pamphlet on Military Hygiene and also made a number of other contributions to medical science. Dr. William Brown, who succeeded Rush as Surgeon-General of the Middle