Glands in Health and Disease Internal Secretion and the Ductless Glands

Abstract

THE two books before us have not the same object Tor scope, but they appear equally to fulfil the purpose intended. On the whole, they may be said, along with Sir E. Sharpey Schafer's “Endocrine Organs,”to be the most useful books on the subject in the English language, apart from the encyclopedic “Endocrinology” edited by Llewellys Barker. While that of Dr. Harrow is of a somewhat popular nature, assuming comparatively little physiological knowledge on the part of the reader, Prof. Swale Vincent's book has the more ambitious aim of a scientific presentation of the facts definitely known on the subject. This latter has therefore rather the character of a work of reference, and will be found very useful in this way. It is naturally not so easy to read as Dr. Harrow's book, which presents an admirable, connected account of the subject and may be thoroughly recommended to all who wish for a critical statement of the problems which are attracting so much attention at the present time. It is to be hoped that those of us who have been misled by the wild reports of marvellous results published in the Press will adopt Dr. Harrow's cautious attitude and assess such reports at their proper value. Prof. Harvey Cushing, as quoted by Dr. Harrow, remarks:

Glands in Health and Disease.

By Dr. B. Harrow. Pp. xv + 218. (New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1922.) n.p.

Internal Secretion and the Ductless Glands.

By Prof. Swale Vincent. Second edition. Pp. xx + 422. (London: E. Arnold and Co., 1922.) 25s. net.