Recent Advances in Physiology [antikvár]

PREFACE TO THE SEVENTH EDITIONSince the publication of the last edition of this book, just before the war, eleven imposing volumes of the new Annual Review of Physiology have appeared. These, added to the familiar Physio-logical Reviews, other periodical reviews, annual volumes of lectures, monographs, and text-books compiled from the con-tributions of specialists, place the physiologist in search of autho-ritative up-to-date information in an exceptionally favourable position. The situation of the present writer is no less favourable, for he need not, and has not troubled about committing sins of omission. An old schoolmaster used to be fond of pointing out that ' The Acts of the Apostles' should have been called ' Somé Acts of Somé Apostles,' and he would undoubtedly have dubbed this book ' Somé Recent Advances by Somé Physiologists.' Tts purpose is not to impart the greatest amount of knowledge which could be introduced into its pages, but rather to indicate to the student certain modern currents of thought, anchoring him mean-while near one of the main sources. The quantity of factual knowledge which this involves has depended on the subject, and every effort has been made to select subjects of interest and im-portance, to record the facts accurately, and to provide an ex-planatory background where necessary. The chapters, though fewer than hitherto, are all new.It is a pleasure to acknowledge help by Dr. I. Calma in sup-plying practically all the material for Chapter V of which he wrote a draft. Colleagues and senior students at Liverpool and friends elsewhere have alsó helped by discussing subjects in which they are interested, by guiding me to the literature, or by criticising what I have written. They would probably prefer to remain anonymous lest responsibility should cling to them, but they have my sincere thanks. The sources of illustrations are gratefully aeknowledged in the legends.Finally, I would record my indebtedness to my wife, not only for reading the proofs and making the index, but for her encourage-ment in a much-interrupted task. The counterpart of this has been the patience of the publishers whose reminders could not have been more considerate.W. H. Newton.Edinburgh.