Vitality

The purpose of this book is to popularize recent advances in knowledge of the problems of vitality. The first part deals with vitality of man and of lower animals and with "the gland of life"—the cortex of the suprarenal, the hormone of which is "the hormone of vitality." The second part describes the source of vitality, more particularly lactic acid (acid-base equilibrium, the fuel of the brain, lactic acid as a general antiseptic, the conservatism of lactic acid). The third part is headed "the crisis of vitality—cancer." Here is a chapter on Napoleon's case and a discussion of the revolt of cells and of vitality and cancer. The book has points of interest. Vital phenomena are discussed and explained in apparently simple and convincing language. There can be no question about the confidence of the author in his explanations and reasoning. In most cases, however, the generalizations are more definitive