850 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



forms a useful contribution to the history 

 of medical progress in the nineteenth cen- 

 tury. 



A Text-book of Physiology. By M. Fos- 

 ter, M. A., M. D., LL. D., F. R. S., etc. 

 Sixth edition. Part I, comprising Book 

 I. Blood ; The Tissues of Movement ; 

 The Vascular Mechanism. New York 

 and London: Macmillan & Co., 1893. 

 Pp. 387. Price, $2.60. 



The popularity of this text-book is evi- 

 denced by the fact that a few months after 

 the final part of the fifth edition was pub- 

 lished the author presents the first part of 

 the sixth edition. We find but few changes 

 in the present volume except in the chapter 

 on the vascular mechanism, in which descrip- 

 tions have been introduced of the membrane 

 manometer of Hiirthle, of Stolnikow's meth- 

 od for determining the quantity of blood 

 ejected by the ventricle, and of the cardi- 

 ometer of Roy and Adami. In a number of 

 sections the text has been rearranged, but 

 with no additions that are of signal impor- 

 tance. 



Essays by Thomas H. Huxley. Vol. I. 

 Method and Results. Pp. 430. 1893. 

 Vol. II. Darwiniana. Pp. 475. 1893. 

 Vol. III. Science and Education. Pp. 

 451. 1894. New York : D. Appleton & 

 Co. Price, $1.25 each. 



These are the first volumes of a series in- 

 tended to include the collected essays of Mr. 

 Huxley. The first contains a brief but char- 

 acteristic autobiography, and nine essays that 

 were published between 1866 and 1890. The 

 author states that while they are neither free 

 from repetitions nor, perhaps, deficiencies, 

 yet as far as their substance goes he finds 

 nothing to alter in them. This, we opine, is 

 rather an evidence of the soundness of his 

 opinions than of failure to make progress in 

 wisdom during the last quarter of a century. 



The essays include that on the advisable- 

 ness of improving natural knowledge, that 

 on the progress of science, on the physical 

 basis of life, on Descartes's discourse touch- 

 ing the method of using one's reason rightly 

 and of seeking scientific truth, on the hy- 

 pothesis that animals are automata, on ad- 

 ministrative nihiiism, on the natural inequal- 

 ity of men, on natural and political rights, 

 and on government. 



The second volume contains essays on j 



the ancient doctrine of evolution, rehabili- 

 tated and placed upon a sound scientific 

 foundation, since and in consequence of the 

 publication of the Origin of Species. These 

 essays meet the criticisms imposed upon Mr. 

 Darwin's gi-eat work, and sum it up and in- 

 dicate its enduring influence on the course 

 of scientific thought. The volume includes 

 three essays on Charles Darwin, on the Dar- 

 win memorial, and an obituary of Darwin 

 that record the impressions left by that 

 scientist on his friend for thirty years, the 

 author of this volume. 



The third volume contains seventeen es- 

 says that were published between 1854 and 

 1887, all of which refer to the value of sci- 

 ence in education. 



Some of these essays have appeared in 

 pages of the Monthly, but the many admirers 

 of Prof. Huxley will be glad to welcome this 

 permanent collection of his writings that have 

 done so much to advance the scientific spirit 

 of our age. 



Jesus and Modern Life. By M. J. Savage. 

 With an Introduction by Prof. Crawford 

 H. Toy. Boston : George H. EUis. Pp. 

 229. 



In this work the author has sought to 

 find out, so far as is to-day possible, the ac- 

 tual beliefs and teachings of Jesus. Then, 

 having, as he has supposed, had this teach- 

 ing, he has considered it as relating to the 

 preceding thought of the world, and special- 

 ly of his own people. After that he has 

 tried to find out how much of this teaching 

 is vital to-day, and how it bears on the 

 problems, religious and other, with which 

 we must deal. " Only in some such way as 

 this," he assumes, " can we really find out 

 to what extent and in what sense Jesus is a 

 present leader and inspiration." 



The New Bible and its New Uses. By 

 JosEi'H Henry Crooke. Boston : George 

 H. ElHs. Pp. 286. 



In this book the Bible is considered in 

 the light of the modern or " higher " criti- 

 cism, by which, the author holds, the theo- 

 ries of our fathers respecting its origin, 

 growth, and character have been swept 

 aside. As a result, " we see with greater 

 clearness the impulse and purpose which pro- 

 duced these writings. We understand the 



