Some General Aspects of Physics in the Middle Ages

idea of the problems involved. However, treating the publications by author rather than by topic, Portal does not give any view of the episode as a whole. Dionis has been referred to in the text of the article. It is unfortunate that the historical thesis occasionally accepted in recent years by the Paris Medical Faculty shows a low standard of critical scholarship. Inadequate references, a worthless bibliography, no criteria in the use of citations, and a lack of contact with the historical work already done, usually make these productions dreary and almost profitless reading. J. Nomblot wrote (I932) on La Martiniere with very little knowledge of this episode in which his subject's pamphlets played a considerable part. A fairly good account of early transfusions and speculations may be found in a twelve page note appended to John W. Ogle's Harveian Oration z88o, (London, i88i). M. W. Hollingsworth's article on "Blood Transfusion by R. Lower, i665" in Annals of Medical History, I928, IO, 2I3, promises much in spite of an error of date, but offers only an unannotated translation of De Corde, 4, in which Denis is referred to as "M. Dionys."