Practical Biochemistry

decorate his pages-Stearne, Dun, Petty, Cheyne, Graves, Stokes, Corrigan, all of Nvhom have earned undying fame. Professor Widdess gives short and sympathetic accounts of the lives and labours of all of these and several more. One of the most detailed of these concerns Sir Patrick Dun, and the strange history of his bequest to the College. It is interesting to note the long and friendly association with the Royal College of Physicians of London which has continued for three hundred years. This friendship is reflected in the coat of arms granted by King Charles II in 1667, and issued at his command by the Ulster King-of-Arms. It resembles that of the London College in that it shows "in chief a hand celestial descending out of a cloud feeling the pulse of a hand terrestrial." In the London coat the lower compartment shows a pomegranate and fleur-de-lis, but the Irish one shows a harp, crowned. For some reason the terrestrial hand is now omitted from the device, except, apparenitly, wheil used by the President himself. Professor WViddess has made but slight reference to the historical background of Ireland during this long period. There is a passing reference to the defeat of King James II which led to the College being named the King and Queen's College of Physicians of Ireland. This clumsy label was discarded in 1890, and the College was granted its present prefix of "Royal," to which it still adheres, although Southern Ireland is now a republic outside the British Commonwealth. It is withl particular pleasure that I recommend this valuable and entertaining book. It is publ)ished by E. & S. Livingstonie, of Londoni and Edinburgh, anid its format andl ten illustrationls are finely produced. R. M.