Massage : Its Principles and Technique. ay max dohm, m.d., ?5erim. indited by Liiarles F. Paintkr, M.D., Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Tufts College Medical School, Boston. Pp. 88. Illustrations 97. Philadelphia and London :

W. B. Saunders Company, 1913.

This American edition of Dr. Bohm's "Treatise on Massage" has been brought out with the idea of extending the practice of

massage. It is true that the medical profession are not

securing for their patients the benefit they might, were they to be an fait with the technique of

massage. All know of the benefits inherent in that form of physical therapeutics, but how many can really apply it intelligently and so reap its full advantages.

In the first chapter dealing with general technique, the various manipulations of effleurage, petrissage and tapotement, etc., are carefully described. Then follows a chapter on the massage of joints, which is succeeded by one on the

massage of muscles. The book is brought to

a close by a somewhat cursory description of the

massage of nerves and the abdomen and general massage.

Seeing that the illustrations, a marked feature of the book, are profuse, obviously with the idea of overcoming that difficulty experienced by all endeavouring to write a book which can be understood by doctor and layman alike, it is

particularly unfortunate that so many errors should have crept in among their descriptions.

Fig. 47 shows the extensors being kneaded and O o

not the flexors as stated.

Fig. 60 certainly dees not depict " kneading of the back part of the deltoid,

" but appears to

be effleurage of the anterior part. Fig. 63 shows effleurage, and Fig. 64 kneading

of the anterior tibial muscles and not, as we read, of the peroneal muscles, effleurage of which is to be seen in Fig. 65 and entitled Effleurage of the Fibular Muscles.

On page 66 are written the words " Tensor Fascia Lata?." We presume that this is a

printer's error for " Tensor Fascice Latco " which,

Feb., 1914.] REVIEWS OF BOOKS. GO

however, can hardly be called the "group of the tensors of the large thigh muscles," as we note o o '

on page 68, Fig. 70. For these and other reasons we fear that we

cannot confidently recommend the book to the

practitioner, in its present edition.