276 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



a wide variety of subjects in natural histo- 

 ry, geology, physics, and archaeology, have 

 been noticed from time to time in " The Pop- 

 ular Science Monthly." Mr. S. H. Scudder, 

 the new president of the society, defines its 

 aim in his inaugural address as distinct- 

 ively educational ; and with this view it 

 restricts its museum to the collection and 

 exhibition of such objects as can be put 

 directly to public use ; furnishes direct in- 

 struction by lectures, lesson and guide books, 

 to those who have in charge the education 

 of youth ; and is working for the introduc- 

 tion and retention of the study of nature in 

 the public schools. 



HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF LlFE. By J. 



Mortimer Granville, M. D. Pp. 96. 

 Boston : S. E. Cassino. Price, 50 cents. 



This little volume has been added to Dr. 

 Granville's excellent series of small books 

 on the mental phases of personal hygiene. 

 They are all devoted to the conditions of 

 mental health, and to the care of the mind 

 under the strain and exposure of neglect, 

 overwork, bad habits, etc. The present 

 volume is full of miscellaneous suggestions 

 and practical precautions in the conduct of 

 every-day life that, if followed, will be cer- 

 tain to guard against trouble and increase 

 the enjoyment of health. Dr. Granville has 

 improved the literary form of his work as 

 he went on, so that this last part is written 

 in a clearer and simpler style than those 

 which preceded it. 



Report on Diphtheria. By Franklin Sta- 

 ples, M. D., Winona. Pp. 44. 



The report includes the facts gathered by 

 the State Board of Health respecting the 

 prevalence of diphtheria in the State of 

 Minnesota during two years, from Novem- 

 ber, 18*78, to November, 1880. It embodies 

 the substance of replies received from the 

 several counties of the State in answer to 

 inquiries sent out by the board respecting 

 the prevalence or non-prevalence of the 

 disease, its forms and degree of malignancy, 

 the apparent causes and means of propaga- 

 tion (with express attention to the relations 

 of the disease to water-supply and sanitary 

 surroundings), and the means employed for 

 its prevention. The facts collected, which 

 are given as they were sent up, form a mass 



of valuable material to aid in the study of 

 the malady. By this study the board say 

 in the report : " We have been able to con- 

 firm many points of doctrine now generally 

 understood concerning this disease, and, by 

 observing its behavior on our soil, in our 

 climate, and among the people of the vari- 

 ous nationalities of our State, we have been 

 able to arrive at some conclusions as to the 

 kind of sanitary work demanded." These 

 conclusions are given, and are not essentially 

 different from those that have been agreed 

 upon by sanitarians generally. 



The Use of Tobacco. By J. I. D. Hinds, 

 Ph. D., Professor of Chemistry in Cum- 

 berland University, Lebanon, Tennes- 

 see. Cumberland Presbyterian Publish- 

 ing House. Pp. 138. Price, 75 cents. 



This little work presents a view of the 

 subject adapted to popular comprehension, 

 with arguments against the use of tobacco 

 based chiefly on economical, hygienic, and 

 moral grounds, which are designed to reach 

 the public. 



The Temple Rebuilt : A Poem. By Fred- 

 erick R. Abbe. Boston : D. Lothrop & 

 Co. Pp. 251. Price, $1.25. 



By the " temple " the author typifies the 

 soul of man, which has been cast into ruins 

 by sin, and is rebuilt on the hew foundation 

 of the plan of salvation as laid down by 

 Christ, by the Christian virtues and graces 

 serving as builders, and using prayer and 

 good works as their implements. 



Incandescent Electric Lights, with Par- 

 ticular Reference to the Edison 

 Lamps at the Paris Exhibition. By 

 Compte Th. du Moncel and William 

 Henry Preece. With other Papers. 

 New York : D. Yan Nostrand. Pp. 176. 

 Price, 50 cents. 



A volume of " Yan Nostrand's Science 

 Series." It has been called out by the pub- 

 lic interest in the growth of the Edison and 

 other systems for maintaining a steady elec- 

 tric light of low intensity. Besides the 

 paper of Compte du Moncel and the address 

 of Mr. Preece, which give the title to the 

 book, the volume contains articles on " The 

 Economy of the Electric Light by Incan- 

 descence," by John W. Howell, and on " The 

 Steadiness of the Electric Current," by C. 

 W. Siemens. 



