556 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



application of investigations undertaken 

 for the simple purpose of the extension of 

 knowledge, with no perception of its ulti- 

 mate utilities. While one division of labor- 

 ers, spurred by the urgent necessities of 

 observers, spent their energies in bringing 

 the microscope up to its highest power, an- 

 other division was equally absorbed in find- 

 ing out what could be known of the newly 

 revealed world of microscopic life. The 

 stimulus of the love of discovery was suffi- 

 cient to insure the successful progress of 

 both. But now we begin to see the benefi- 

 cent ripening of their results as they could 

 not see it. As a legitimate issue of those 

 labors, we have arrived at views of the nat- 

 ure and propagation of diseases that will 

 make an epoch in the advance of medical 

 and hygienic science. "We print, in the 

 present Monthly, the Introductory Note to 

 Professor Tyndall's volume, which is very 

 instructive in regard to the present position 

 and future influence of the " Germ Theory 

 of Disease." 



A Dictionary of Music and Musicians 

 (a. d. 1450-1881). By Eminent Writ- 

 ers, English and Foreign. Edited by 

 George Grove, D. C. L. Part XIV. 

 London and New York: Macmillan & 

 Co. Pp. 128. Price, $1. 



The present number includes the titles 

 from Richter to Sehorbcrlechner. The plan 

 and execution of the work are commend- 

 able. The information is given in well-writ- 

 ten and easily readable articles, the length 

 of which is adapted to the character and 

 importance of the subject. Biographies of 

 eminent composers, performers, instrument- 

 makers, and other musical persons, predom- 

 inate in the present number, ranging from 

 few-line notices of little distinguished in- 

 strumentalists to the sixteen-page article that 

 is given to a distinguished composer like 

 Rossini. Besides these, the number before 

 us has paragraphs, within a few pages, on 

 such subjects as " Ridotto," the opera of 

 Rienzi, " Rigadoon," with a musical passage 

 to show what it is, the opera of Rinaldo, 

 " Einforzando," " Ripieno," " Ritardando " 

 and its synonyms, " Ritorncllo " with oth- 

 er musical illustrations, etc. We mention 

 these heads to give only an inadequate idea 

 of the abundance and variety of the mate- 

 rial with which the work deals. 



Our Homes. By Henry Hartshorne, A. M., 

 M. D. Philadelphia : P. Blakiston, Son 

 & Co. Pp. 150. Price, 50 cents. 



A volume in the series of " American 

 Health Primers," edited by Dr. W. W. Keen. 

 It is a practical, pleasant-reading treatise 

 on house-building, house management, and 

 house sanitation, considering the subject 

 under the heads of situation, construction, 

 light, warmth, ventilation, water-supply, 

 drainage, disinfection, population (the rela- 

 tions of density of population to health), 

 and working-men's homes. 



The Wine Question in the Light of the 

 New Dispensation. By John Ellis, 

 M. D. New York : Published by the 

 author. Pp. 228. 



The controversy respecting the use of 

 fermented or unfermented wine in the com- 

 munion service is considered here in the 

 light of the teaching of the Swedenborgian 

 Church, with citations from authorities and 

 opinions outside of that church, all going to 

 sustain the presumption that unfermented 

 wine is the kind to be used. 



The Rhymester ; or, the Rules of Rhyme. 

 A Guide to English Versification. By 

 the late Tom Hood. Edited, with Addi- 

 tions, by Arthur Penn. New York : D. 

 Appleton & Co. Pp. 208. Price, $1. 



The author believes that verse-making 

 not trying to write poetry is of use as an 

 exercise for fixing accurate pronunciation ; 

 and that, if done at all, it should be well 

 done. He accordingly gives here the rules 

 for doing it well. Many changes have been 

 made by the American editor, of which the 

 more material one3 are marked, and chap- 

 ters have been added on the sonnet, the ron- 

 deau, and the ballade, and on the other fixed 

 forms of verse. 



The Books of All Time. A Guide for the 

 Purchase of Books. Compiled by F. 

 LEvroLDT and Lynds E. Jones. New 

 York : F. Leypoldt. Pp. 80. 



A list of approved books is given, with 

 the prices of the best or most popular edi- 

 tions ; and to each title are attached bits 

 of criticism which throw some light on the 

 characteristics of the author. The list, as a 

 whole, is a good one and deserves approval, 

 but would have been better for a little closer 

 pruning away of mediocre books. 



