BOOK REVIEWS 639

NERVE IMPULSE. Transactions of the Third Conference. March 3 and 4, 1952. Editor: 13. HOUSTON MERRITT, M.D. Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, New York, Price $3.50.

The third conference keeps up the high standard of its predecessors. It covers three major themes : 1. biochemical similarities and differences between synaptic transmission and axonal conduction. 2. Electrical similarities and differences between synaptic transmission and axonal conduction. 3. The structure of the synaptic junction. These were presented by Wilson, Bullock and J . Z. Young (from London) respec- tively.

As usually in these meetings, discussion ranged fa r and wide, and makes up, in fact, the bulk of each chapter. The last chapter deals largely with the situation in the cerebral cortex, and for this reason, proved especially stimulating to the reviewer. He also had the impres- sion that here the discussion was more “to the point’’ than in the other two chapters, and that Young was closer to the center of the stage than either Wilson or Bullock.

The volume is well edited and full of interesting sidelights, as were the other volumes. In the opinion of the reviewer this is one of the best edited series which the Macy Foundation brings out in the neuro- logical fields.

GERHARDT VON BONIN

HEMIFACIAL SPASM. ROBERT WARTENBERG, New York, Oxford University Press, 1952, $4.00.

This is a small book of 86 pages, and contains 27 figures, almost all of them full page size.

After a foreword of two pages by Macdonald Cirtchley, the author discusses the clinical features, the etiology, the nuclear origin, crypto- genic hemifacial spasm, hemifacial spasm and the spastic syndrome, hemifacial spasm as a release phenomenon, cause of the release, and summary. Bibliography and an index are provided.

The main idea is that hemifacial spasm is a release phenomenon, and he assumes that in the facial nucleus there are two motor systems, a lower one which actually goes to the periphery, and an upper one which has an inhibiting and restricting influence. If one puts the upper one into the reticular substanw, one can make sense out of it, but whether it is true is still another question which the present reviewer does not feel competent to answer.

While it is well printed and well edited, the price seems excessive.

GERHARDT VON BONIN