The Climatological Association which recently held its session it Niagara was a great success. It was a most desirable thing for this State that the association decided to hold its next annual session at Coronado. Los Angeles should be ready to entertain them in their usual nospitable style, and in fact all Southern California should treat this philanthropic organization with occidental courtesy. Fish, of Denver, is president,and our own Norman Bridge is vice-president.

THE FINAL CHOICE.

"Dark doubts between the promise and event."-Young.

I rather thought that Alexander Would sound well at the font, While mother much preferred Leander For him who swam the Hellespont. Grandfather clamored for Uriah, While grandma mentioned Obadiah.

Then mother spoke of Clarence, Cyril,
And Reginald and Claude,

But I thought none of them were virile
Like some such name as Ichabod.
Grandfather spoke of Jeremiah,
And grandmother favored Azariah.
Then Harold, Gerald, Donald, Luke,
And lordly Roderick

Waged wordy war with Marmaduke
And Bernard and Theodoic,
While grandpa hinted Zachariah
And Grandma thought of Hezekiah.
We spoke of Gottlieb from the German,
Of Gaius, Caius, Saul,

Of Andrew, Francois, Ivan, Herman,
Of Casper, Jasper, Peter, Paul.
Still grandpa stuck for Nehemiah
And grandma ventured Jedediah.
From Aaron down to Zep we went,
But fate is so contrary!

For after the august event

The name we really chose was Mary! Though grandpa much preferred Maria, And grandma rooted for Sophia. Edmond Vance Cook, in April "New" Lippincott.

A TEXT-BOOK OF

GYNECOLOGY Edit

ed by Charles A. L. Reed, A. M., M. D., President of the American Medical Association (1900-1901); Gynecologist and Clinical Lecturer on Surgical Diseases of Women at the Cincinnati Hospital; Fellow of the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Fellow of the British Gynecological Society; Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Medicine of Peru, etc. Illustrated by R. J. Hopkins. New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1901. Pp. xxvi-900.

This is a text book of many authors, but the articles are unusually well blended into each other so as to make a consistent treatise. The work is well illustrated and under each illustration Dr. Reed has placed a quotation from the text of the pook after the manner of books of fiction.

Dr. Reed is a very versatile man, as he showed as President of the American Medical Association, and as he

shows no less in his editorship of this text book. In Chapter II he says:

"There is a prevailing impression that the diseases peculiar to women are increasing relatively to the population. There exists no data upon which such an affirmation can be based. The impression probably depends for its existence upon the fact that such diseases are now better understood and more generally treated than formerly. Evidence is not wanting to indicate that the Anglo-Saxon woman is not degenerating. Bowditch has made some interesting observations on the physique of women, as follows: Of over 1100, he found that the average height was 158.76 centimeters (five feet three and one-half inches). Sargent, in nearly 1900 observations, the ages of the women ranging from six

teen to twenty-six, found the average slightly higher. Galton, in 770 measurements of English women from twenty-three to fifty-one years of age, also found a higher average-a difference due in part, no doubt, to the younger age of a number of American subjects. In 1105 subjects in ordinary indoor clothing, Bowditch found the average weight to be 56.56 kilogrammes (125 pounds). These observations, compared with 276 by Galton, show that the average weight is a little greater among Americans. It would seem that while the tallest English women surpassed the tallest American women in height, the heaviest American women exceeded the heaviest English women in weight. Specific observation of this systematic character, however, is not necessary to impress the intelligent traveler with the generally satisfactory physique of the women of England and America. The improvement in the physique of women has been very noticeable since the sentiment for athletics has supplanted that for the cloister, and since outdoor exercises have taken the place of those sedentary habits which but a few decades ago were considered the proper affectations of refinement.

Take the volume throughout and it shows great originality of thought and manner.

A REFERENCE HANDBOOK OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES Embracing the Entire Range of Scientific and Practical Medicine and Allied Science by Various Writers. A New Edition, Completely Revised and Rewritten. Edited by Albert H. Buck, M. D.. New York City. Volume II. Illustrated by Numerous Chromolithographs and Seven Hundred and Sixty-five Half-tone and Wood Engravings. New York, William Wood & Company, 1901.

In extra English muslin binding, per volume, $7. Brown leather $8. Turkey Morocco $9.

We last November, reviewed the first volume of this excellent comprehensive work and now we have before us the second volume. What a wonderful work this is! Take the chapter devoted to the Brain: 318 pages. Such fine illustrations and the text by our

ablest authorities, Dr. Burt G. Wilder, professor of Neurology in Cornell University, writes on the Anatomy of the Brain.

Dr. Leopold Putzel of New York on Abscess of the Brain. Dr. Mary Putman-Jacobi on Anemia of the Brain. Dr. M. Allen Starr, professor of Diseases of the Mind and Nervous System in Columbia University on Brain Diseases, and Diagnosis of Local Lesions.

Dr. Lewellys F. Barker, professor of Anatomy in the University of Chicago and Rush Medical College was an exhaustive and well-illustrated section on Histology of the Brain, while Dr. W. W. Keen who stands at the head in American surgery has a great chapter on Surgery of the Brain.

What feast superior to this could you wish.

The chapter on Bubonic Plague is also timely and satisfactory. We cannot recite here any more of the fine things spread before us in this book.

It is in itself a medical library. Many a practitioner would be better off if he were to exchange all the books he now has for The Reference Hand Book of Medical Sciences.

ATLAS AND EPITOME OF OPHTHALMOSCOPY AND OPHTHALMOSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS. By Prof. Dr. Haab, Director of the Eye Clinic in Zurich. From the Third Revised and Enlarged German Edition. Edited by Geo. E. De Schweinitz, Professor of Ophthalmology, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. With 152 colored lithographic illustrations and 85 pages of text. Philadelphia and London: W. B.Saunders & Co., 1901. Price, $3.00 net.

Prof. Haabs' clinic at Zurich is probably one of the richest opththalmological clinics in the world in the amount and character of material, and it is from this clinic that he has obtained his illustrations for his Atlas of External Disease of the Eye, and the Atlas of Ophthalmoscopic Diagnosis.

This, the third edition, has added to it some of the rarer ophthalmoscopic pictures making it more complete. Prof. Habb is particularly fortunate in having Dr. de Schweinitz to edit this translation as the editorial comments add value to the work.

The student of ophthalmology who is denied access to the great clinics cannot do better than obtain this work.