CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Narrative of a Busy Life : an Autobiography. By Arthur Hill Hassall, M.D. (Longmans.)—Dr. Hassall's name will be connected in many minds with his very useful researches, chemical and microscopical, in the adulteration of food. It is not too much to say that he was a pioneer in this work, and that whatever protection the public now possess in this respect—and, though not by any means perfect, it is doubtless considerable and Largely beneficial—is due to him. Dr. Hassall began with coffee, which he found largely mixed with roasted wheat, beans, peas, burnt sugar, &c. Sugar itself became the next object of research. Sand. was not found in it, as the popular belief held, but things much worse. Mr. Wakley, proprietor and editor at that time of the Lancet, took the matter up, and Dr. Hassall undertook, in company with Mr. Miller, an artist, the " Analytical Sanitary Commission." Names of the offending vendors were published, but, though some threatened, no one ventured to actually take legal proceedings. At the same time, there was no little risk, and Mr. Wakley deserves to share the honours of the affair. If distinctions were given as freely for saving life as for destroying it, Dr. Hassan would not have remained undecorated in his seventy-eighth year, aus most fruitful discovery in this field, as it may almost be called, was the application of the microscope to analysis. From food Dr. Hassall proceeded to water, and discovered much about the London supply. In this direction a great improvement has taken place, chiefly through the establishment of what had been wanting before,—an efficient system of filtration. Again, Dr. Hassell was the means of saving many lives. If the London water supply had remained what it was when he began his labours, we must have had, sooner or later, another Plague of London. Dr. Hassall's most practically useful labours have been in this direction, but he has done much work of various kinds. In giving this account of it he has rendered an additional service
to the public.
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