REVIEWS 563 



The System is stated in outline in eleven propositions, of which the first three 

 are quoted below : 



"(1) That the principal basis of mind is a quasi-chemical substance (to which the 

 term ' mental ether ' is given), and that it can be analysed into quasi-chemical 

 elements. 



" (2) That the principal basis of physical force is also a quasi-chemical substance 

 (to which the term 'physical ether' is given), and that it can be analysed into 

 quasi-chemical elements. 



"(3) That these elements, together with all universal elements, are funda- 

 mentally the same as the chemical elements." 



There are also four hypotheses which constitute an important part of the 

 System, entitled respectively — "The Universal and Monistic Hypothesis, The 

 Chemical Hypothesis, The Physical Hypothesis, The Mental Hypothesis." Once 

 again, perhaps, it will be well to allow the author to speak for himself. The first 

 two hypotheses are as follows : 



"1. That the universe is a compound of all the universal elements, and that 

 each element is coextensive with space and can have no independent existence. 



"2. That all matter contains the whole of the chemical elements and that 

 each element is universally diffused throughout the whole space occupied by the 

 elements." 



It should also be mentioned that the author has received congratulatory letters 

 from such men as the late Prof. William James and Prof. James Sully. These 

 refer strictly to an earlier work, but, as the essential ideas are the same, the 

 recommendation should be mentioned for what it is worth. The present volume 

 has been critically investigated by two of the foremost Fellows of the Royal 

 Society, who said that it ought to be published. 



No doubt it ought, and the author is to be congratulated on at last being able 

 to place his views before the public. Any one who is interested in hypotheses 

 of this kind, and in the study of systems of the universe, will find much to interest 

 and amuse. It is to be hoped that the work will have a sale sufficient to encourage 

 publishers of serious works, in case of doubt, to take the risk. 



In the present case it is necessary to make one decisive criticism. The author 

 plainly and obviously does not understand the elementary facts and theories of 

 the sciences with which he deals. A large portion of the book would have to be 

 rewritten if he had troubled to acquire the most elementary knowledge of chemistry 

 and physics. The assistance of men of science has not enabled him to remedy 

 the defect. As an example, on p. 49, air is referred to as a compound, and it is 

 absolutely impossible, from the trend of the argument, to decide whether the 

 statement is a slip or sheer ignorance. Because atmospheric nitrogen — which, 

 by the way, is considerably heavier than nitrogen obtained from compounds — 

 is found to contain considerable quantities of other elements than nitrogen, 

 therefore chemically pure nitrogen contains infinitesimal traces of every known 

 and unknown element — so runs the trend of the argument. There is absolutely 

 no connection between fact and inference. Again, in the chapter on the tides, 

 the author shows plainly that he does not understand the simplest elements of 

 the current tidal theory that he is attempting to displace. He apparently 

 does not know that the tide-raising force is, approximately, inversely propor- 

 tional to the cube of the distance between the attracting bodies, and inquires 

 (with the proviso that the question may be answerable) why dry leaves and other 

 loose materials are not sucked up by the attraction of the Moon. 



The author says somewhere that it is a pity that his system did not originate 



