The Human Species, considered from the Standpoints of Comparative Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, and Bacteriology

Abstract

THE literature of evolution is exceedingly extensive and varied, but there are not many books which, in a small compass, place before the general reader a simple, account of man's structure, nature, and zoological relationships extending over the whole field of anthropology. This task has been attempted with considerable success in the present volume. Commencing with a review of the speculations of primitive man as to his own origin, the author passes on to a classification of mankind and his ancestral and recent history as revealed by fossil and other remains, from the Tertiary period to the present day. Subsequent chapters deal with comparative anatomy and physiology, psychology and sociology, while the last quarter of the book is devoted to the less studied, or perhaps less popular, topic of comparative pathology and therapeutics. To compress so vast a subject within the limits of a small volume has led to all descriptions being of the briefest. None the less, the book will appeal to those who desire to acquire a superficial knowledge of the main features of human evolution, while the sections will serve as starting-points for further study to those more deeply interested, and be of considerable assistance to popular lecturers, who will find therein a dense array of facts.

The Human Species, considered from the Standpoints of Comparative Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, and Bacteriology.

By Ludwig Hopf. Authorised English translation. Pp. xx + 457. (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1909.) Price 10s. 6d. net.