LITERARY NOTICES. 



853 



to water. The Leyden jar is an example of 

 two conductors separated by an insulating 

 medium and may be used to exhibit some 

 of the recent discoveries as well as simpler 

 phenomena. An analogy is found for the 

 charged Leyden jar in the atmospheric con- 

 dition preceding a thunderstorm when the 

 air between the earth and clouds is under 

 the same strain as the glass. 



The theory of molecular magnetization 

 accounts best for the properties of magnets 

 and the study of terrestrial magnetism con- 

 firms the coincidence of magnetic storms 

 and sun-spots. All electrical manifestation 

 results in discharge, but current electricity 

 consists in a continuous flow. The usual 

 way of producing this by galvanic battery, 

 the chemical, physiological, and magnetic 

 effects are next examined. The practical 

 units of measurement, the volt, ohm, am- 

 ph-e, and coulomb, are usually employed 

 with prefixes signifying a million-fold or 

 millionth, thousand-fold or thosuandth. In 

 the last section various magneto - electric, 

 dynamo machines, and electric motors are 

 described and illustrated ; also, electric light- 

 ing, railways, telpherage, the telephone, and 

 many minor electrical devices ; and the ap- 

 plication of electricity to metallurgy in elec- 

 tro-plating, electrotyping and welding. The 

 nature of electricity is discussed. Since the 

 detection of electro-magnetic waves that can 

 be reflected, refracted, and polarized like 

 those of light, the " electro-magnetic theory 

 of light " has been accepted and " we may 

 say that electrical science includes the whole 

 of optics, or that optics includes the whole 

 of electrical science, whichever way we like 

 to put it." 



The Criminal Jurisprudence op the An- 

 cient Hebrews. Compiled from the Tal- 

 mud and other Rabbinical Writings, and 

 compared with Roman and English 

 Criminal Jurisprudence. By S. Mendel- 

 sohn. Baltimore: M. Curlander. Pp. 

 270. Price, $2.50. 



The author of this book is Rabbi of the 

 Jewish congregation " Temple of Israel," at 

 Wilmington, N. C. He is described as a 

 man of great learning, and the accuracy of 

 his work is testified to by prominent Hebrew 

 clergymen on the side of Talmudic data, and 

 by " lawyers of renown " on that of the civil 

 and common law. His purpose in preparing 



it has been to acquaint the world with the 

 system of criminal jurisprudence unfolded 

 in the Talmud, and to contribute to the vin- 

 dication of the Israelitish people's ancient 

 literature from aspersions which have been 

 cast upon it. His language on the latter 

 point leads us to infer that he hardly real- 

 izes the attention Talmudic literature has 

 received in later days from students, and 

 underrates the respect in which it is held 

 by theologians and scholars. In the course 

 of his essay he unfolds the thesis that the 

 system of criminal jurisprudence of the 

 ancient Hebrews, as recorded in the Talmud 

 and contemporaneous rabbinic literature, 

 was one which enforced civil order and se- 

 cured the safety and peace of society by 

 mildness and consideration ; and this in an 

 age of savagery and violence, of wars and 

 uncertainty. While in England, one hun- 

 dred years ago, one hundred and sixty of- 

 fenses were punishable with death, that pen- 

 alty was inflicted among the Hebrews for 

 only thirty-six offenses. The lex talionis, an 

 eye for an eye, etc., prescribed by Moses, 

 and not unknown to the old English law, 

 gave way, under the rabbis, to a pecuni- 

 ary compensation ; and it was the custom 

 of the rabbis, sitting in judgment over a 

 human being, to lay every possible legiti- 

 mate obstacle in the way of conviction. In 

 the body of the work a syllabus is furnished 

 of the principal penal statutes established 

 by the ancient Jews and preserved in the Tal- 

 mud and contemporaneous rabbinical books, 

 under the headings of Crimes and Punish- 

 ments, The Synhedrion, The Trial, and The 

 Execution. An account of the Talmud, 

 historical and analytical, is given in an ap- 

 pendix. 



An Introduction to the Study of Botany. 

 Bv Edward Aveling. New York : Mac- 

 millan & Co. Pp. 363. Price, $1.10. 



This volume is intended as a guide to 

 the practical study of the subject, and as- 

 sumes no knowledge of it on the part of the 

 reader. The syllabus of the Science and 

 Art Department at South Kensington is 

 taken as a basis for the general plan of the 

 work, but it is intended to help all who en- 

 ter upon the study, no matter what particu- 

 lar end they may have in view. The lessons 

 are expected to be taken from the plant, and 



