LITERARY NOTICES. 



567 



chemistry, designed to fill more perfectly the 

 place occupied by the atomic hypothesis. 

 The solution of one problem, namely, that 

 of the relation of equivalent weight to spe- 

 cific gravity in liquids and solids, which was 

 necessary to a complete chemical philosophy, 

 was wanting till 1886, so that in the present 

 volume the author first presents as a whole 

 his new basis for chemistry. The several 

 parts of the theory are set forth largely in 

 quotations from the author's earlier writ- 

 ings. Professor Hunt agrees in the belief 

 that such matter as forms the substances 

 called elements on the earth exists in stars 

 and nebula? in a still more elementary and 

 tenuous form. From this primary matter 

 he deems all known substances to be formed 

 by greater or less degrees of condensation. 

 He regards chemical combination as an in- 

 terpenetration of masses, by which "the 

 uniting bodies come to occupy the same 

 space at the same time," and names solu- 

 tion as the type of such union. What we 

 are accustomed to call the liquid and solid 

 states of a substance, he regards as poly- 

 mers of the corresponding vapor, whose 

 equivalent weights are as much higher as 

 their densities are greater than that of the 

 vapor. He deems the atomic theory un- 

 necessary for explaining the law of definite 

 proportions, and, from its making combi- 

 nation consist in juxtaposition, untenable. 

 His views are supported by his studies in 

 mineralogy, which have shown that the 

 hardness of isomeric species and their in- 

 difference to chemical reagents increase 

 with their condensation. 



Brazil, its Condition and Prospects. By 

 C. C. Andrews. New York : D. Apple 

 ton & Co. Pp. 352. Price, $1.50. 



Brazil, the only other country on the 

 Western Continent approaching our own in 

 extent, and with 15,000,000 inhabitants, is 

 to us well worth knowing. Yet there are 

 few people in the United States to whom 

 the information in this volume would not 

 have the charm of novelty. The author 

 gained his acquaintance with Brazilian af- 

 fairs and customs during a residence of 

 three years in Rio Janeiro as United States 

 consul-general. His pages teem with facts 

 in regard to routes of travel, houses, mar- 

 kets, conveyances, religion, business cus- 



toms, the emperor, special localities, climate, 

 foreign commerce, education, government, 

 literature, agriculture, animals, slavery, im- 

 migration, and a host of other topics. The 

 impression which the book conveys is that 

 Brazil is not an especially desirable country 

 for an American to emigrate to. It is diffi- 

 cult for a stranger to procure desirable land3 

 for agriculture or stock-raising, and foreign- 

 ers who attempt professional careers must 

 struggle with jealousy and suspicion, besides 

 formidable competition. The seclusion of 

 young women seems to be still practiced 

 with almost Oriental strictness on the plan- 

 tations, as witness the following extract : 



Presently the senhora reappeared, leading one 

 very modest looking damsel of about eighteen or 

 nineteen years of age, and closely followed by three 

 others, apparently somewhat younger. All ap- 

 peared to be overwhelmed with iDtense shyness, 

 and an almost hysterical desire to laugh. After a 

 formal and separate introduction of each one be it 

 noted that the lady was here introduced to the gen- 

 tleman they all retired back agiiin into the secret 

 chamber, and their papa once more turned the key 

 upon them. At this time we were ignorant of the 

 custom, which I afterward found to be so general 

 in these out-of-the-way parts, of keeping the 

 women, or rather the daughters of the family, 

 locked up like wild beasts. 



Controlling Sex in Generation. By Sam- 

 uel H. Terry. Second edition. With 

 an Appendix of Corroborative Proofs. 

 New York : Fowler & Wells Company. 

 Pp. 209. 



In order to more fully corroborate the 

 views advanced in the body of this work, 

 the author has added in this edition an ap- 

 pendix, consisting of extracts from " The 

 Popular Science Monthly" and other peri- 

 odicals, letters from cattle-breeders, etc , 

 and a chapter in answer to objections. 



The Cremation of the Dead. By Hugo 

 Erichsen, M. D., with an Introductory 

 Note by Sir T. Spencer Wells. Detroit : 

 D. O. Haynes & Co. Pp. 264. Price, $2. 



In this book the subject is considered 

 from the aesthetic, sanitary, religious, his- 

 torical, medico-legal, and economical points 

 of view. The author is a warm advocate 

 of cremation, and closes with a prediction 

 that it will make more progress in the 

 United States than in any other country of 

 the world. The text is illustrated with sev- 

 eral views and plans of crematoriums, urns, 

 etc. 



