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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



when we say that ; t is by an Ohio law- 

 yer formerly a judge of Cincinnati. 

 It has been held as one of the redeem- 

 ing features of the English bar, that 

 the author of the able and admirable 

 essay on "The Correlation of Forces " 

 belongs to it ; and it is certainly to the 

 credit of the legal profession in this 

 'country that a member of it has culti- 

 vated physical philosophy to such ex- 

 cellent purpose as is evinced by the 

 article we now publish. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



The Unity of Natural Phenomena. A 

 Popular Introduction to the Study of 

 the Forces of Nature. From the French 

 of M. Emile Saigey. With an Intro- 

 duction and Notes by Thomas Freeman 

 Moses, A. M., M. D. Boston : Estes & 

 Laureat. Price $1.50. 253 pages. 



Although this neat and attractive little 

 volume claims to be a popular introduction 

 to the study of the forces of Nature, we 

 think it should rather be regarded as a 

 book for those who have been previously 

 introduced to the subject. It is rather 

 devoted to an exposition of the author's 

 speculative views than to a simplified and 

 elementary statement for those who are 

 beginning to study. The author holds to a 

 universal ether, and maintains besides that 

 matter is constituted from it, and consists 

 of it, and he aims to build up the universe 

 of ethereal atoms and motion. The work 

 is written from the modern point of view 

 of the correlation of forces, and contains 

 much interesting information upon this 

 subject, but the author is less concerned 

 merely to interpret the phenomena of inter- 

 action among the forces than to get below 

 them to what he regards as the causes of 

 their unity. "The atom and motion, be- 

 hold the universe ! " is a somewhat Frenchy 

 and fantastic cosmology. To readers of a 

 speculative turn of mind the book will prove 

 interesting. 



Sanitary Engineering : a Guide to the 

 Construction of Works of Sewerage and 

 House-Drainage. By Baldwin Latham, 

 C. E. 352 pages. Price $12. New 

 York : E. & F. N. Spon. 



This work is in all respects a contrast 

 to that of M. Saigey. Instead of transcen- 



dental ether, it treats of descendental sew- 

 erage, and, instead of remote imaginative 

 speculations, it is occupied with the most 

 immediate and practical of the interests of 

 daily life. Of the importance of the sub- 

 ject treated, the preservation of life and 

 health by the thorough construction of 

 sanitary works, there can be no question, 

 and the author claims that it is the first 

 book exclusively devoted to subjects re- 

 lating to sanitary engineering. He has 

 gathered his material from official reports, 

 periodical papers, and various works which 

 touch the subject incidentally, and, adding 

 to them the results of his own practice, has 

 produced a most valuable treatise. As 

 science unravels the complicated conditions 

 of life, it becomes more and more apparent 

 that health can only be maintained by the 

 destruction or thorough removal of those 

 deleterious products which are engendered 

 in dwellings. The necessity of drainage is 

 well understood, and the art has been long 

 practised in all civilized countries ; but, like 

 all other arts, its intelligent and efficient 

 practice depends upon scientific principles, 

 and therefore progresses with a growing 

 knowledge of the subject. The questions 

 involved in the proper sewerage of a district 

 are numerous. Its geological character and 

 physical features have to be considered; 

 the meteorological element of rainfall is 

 important ; the constitution of the soil and 

 subsoil must be taken into account; the 

 sources and extent of artificial water-supply 

 are of moment ; and the area of the district 

 to be sewered, and its present and pro- 

 spective population, cannot be overlooked. 

 Much information of this kind requires also 

 to be called into requisition in the construc- 

 tion of separate country-residences. The 

 physical circumstances being given, there 

 then arise numerous questions in regard to 

 drainage, construction, household contriv- 

 ances, the materials employed, and the cost, 

 efficiency, and permanency of works. Mr. 

 Latham's volume treats this whole series 

 of topics in a systematic and exhaustive 

 way. It is profusely illustrated with wood- 

 cuts and maps, and contains numerous 

 tables which are indispensable for the 

 guidance of constructors. It is not re- 

 printed, but is supplied by the New-York 

 branch of the London house, who hold it 

 at an exorbitant pice. 



