BOOK REVIEWS 



Civics and Health. By Wm. H. Allen. Ginn & Co., 1909. Pp. 411. 

 $1.00. The family, the church and the school have so neglected the 

 physical welfare of the children, and instruction in matters of public 

 health generally, that an undue burden has been thrown upon the state. 

 This timely book, proclaiming that "There is a physical basis of citi- 

 zenship", should be read and studied by teachers, parents, preachers 

 and law-makers everywhere, and we are glad to see it being adopted by 

 state "Teachers' Reading Circles". While evidently written with New 

 York City conditions uppermost in mind, this fact by no means hampers 

 its use or applicability to any community, either urban or rural. 



The author decries the present condition of hygiene instruction in 

 the U. S., recognizing what must be evident to all who know our 

 schools, — that although statutes in practically all the states require 

 regular instruction in this subject, "the present situation discredits 

 both law and hygiene" and "is most demoralizing to teacher, pupil and 

 community". The moral crusade spent itself in forcing compulsory 

 laws" which in most cases are unsuited to the demands of twentieth 

 century pedagogy, and in all cases suffer the evils of non-enforcement. 

 The author is especially sane in his discussion of the so-called scientific 

 temperance physiology. "Of the many reasons for not drinking and 

 smoking, physiology gives those that least interest and impress the 

 child." "Courses in regulating the traffic in alcohol are more nec- 

 essary than "courses in the effects of alcohol upon digestion and respi- 

 ration." We would most earnestly commend Dr. Allen's book to such 

 as desire light upon the teacher's objections to "alcohol and tobacco 

 physiology". A positive stand is taken toward rational instruction in 

 sex hygiene. 



The great contribution of the book, however, will be its stimulus to 

 the teacher to give more serious thought to matters of personal 

 hygiene and public health as problems of schoolroom instruction. The 

 coming generation may well call us criminally negligent if we further 

 neglect this field, now that it is being forced upon us through so many 

 agencies. The whole body, — not that portion merely which resides 

 within the cranium — merits the solicitude of the parent, the teacher 

 and the pastor. The problem becomes intricate where the social whole 

 is complex, and Dr. Allen has done well to stimulate and instruct us 

 where our visions of civic righteousness and civic efficiency has been 

 incomplete. F. L. C. 



Elementary Zoology. By T. W. Galloway, Professor of Biology 

 in the James Millikin University, Decatur, 111. 1910. Pp. 418. $1.25. 



Among science teachers today there is a noticeable and noteworthy 

 trend, due to several causes, to examine their methods of instruction, 

 to the end that better teaching may result. One of the ablest leaders 

 in this movement is Dr. Galloway, whose "Text-book of Zoology" is 

 well known, and whose pedigogical discussions in School Science and 

 elsewhere have attracted much attention. 



The purpose and plan of the work are admirably set forth in the 

 preface. The present book anticipates the drift toward an approach 

 and emphasis (in biology) which shall all be primarily economic, 

 with the scientific viewpoint supplementary. However, since most of 

 our teachers have been trained in the older view, the author deems it 

 unwise to break too suddenly with the past, fearing that zoology 

 would suffer as has nature-study, from lack of preparedness and an ap- 



