Dr. Colwell's book, An Essay on the History of Electrotherapy
and Diagnosis (Heinemann, 17s. 6d. net), is unusually readable and well written. All the illustrations are interesting and some are amusing. We specially commend to the reader the steel engriving of the " elegant young female " seated incon- gruously on Lowndes' " Grand electrical apparatus." There is, too, an extraordinary account of the electric eel:-
"
Humboldt and Bonpland, during their travels in Guiana, in 1800, were desirous of obtaining specimens, and returned with vivid descriptions of the difficulties attending their capture, since the natives had such a terror of the Gymnoti that for a long time they could not be persuaded to make any attempt. Eventually they procured about thirty horses, and by driving them into the pond containing the fish, the unfortunate horses received the shocks from the eels, which were then captured in a state of exhaustion. Some idea of the force of the shocks may be gathered from the fact that in less than five minutes two horses were drowned, while all exhibited signs of terror and agony."
The manner of the experiment does not say much for the humanity of the two scientists concerned. Not less curious is Dr. Colwell's account of the early years of radiography.
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