Monthly Review of Literature. 2Gj 



history of the condition of their needy fellow- creatures in every district of the 

 kingdom. If the Poor Law Commission had done no more than this, and 

 we sincerely hope that by its information much more may be effected, if, we 

 say, it had done HO more than put in the hands of benevolent individuals a 

 positive means of ascertaining the real condition of their poor parishioners, 

 its labours deserve the highest praise. But we are happy to observe, that 

 while it points forcibly to the defects existing in our poor law government, 

 and to the abuses by which the poor are oppressed, it arouses interested in- 

 dividuals to discover and put in practice effective means for preventing their 

 recurrence. 



MARTIN'S British Colonial Library. West Indies. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 



Whittaker. 



A GOOD descriptive work on our Colonies has long been a desideratum : and 

 Mr. Martin has at length supplied our wants. These accounts are, perhaps, 

 too superficial and vague to serve as manuals for colonial settlers ; but they, at 

 any rate, furnish us with much detail that will not be found even in our most 

 voluminous Gazetteers. We wish every success to the undertaking of so 

 useful a contributor to our statistical literature. 



GENERAL AND MEDICAL SCIENCE. 

 COULSON on the Chest and Spine. 8vo. Hurst. 



THE writer of this highly practical little work is a surgeon of considerable re- 

 pute attached to one of our largest metropolitan hospitals, and a teacher of 

 anatomy of some years standing. 



His rank in the medical profession is a sure guarantee to a certain extent 

 that the book is sensible and worthy of perusal. An examination of its con- 

 tents has raised our previously favourable opinion of the author. The preface 

 tells us, that it is laid before the profession, as if its sale were to be confined 

 within so narrow a circle. There are few, very few parts that ar.e closed 

 against plain common-sense ; and every part is so important to those engaged 

 in the physical education of children, that we conceive we are serving the 

 community by recommending to every mother and every teacher a careful 

 perusal of Mr. Cdulson's excellent work. 



The London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of 

 Science, for January. Conducted by Sir D. BREWSTER and 

 others. Black. 



WE consider this as rather a heavy number, considering that the Philosophical 

 Magazine can command great resources in its numerous contributors. 



Some portion of its pages are occupied by the contest between Dr. Ritchie 

 and Mr. Rainey. We do not take part in the struggle, but we are happy at 

 all times to look o in the emulation of learning, for information on both sides 

 is the usual result. 



There are some interesting remarks from the pen of the learned professor 

 on electricity and magnetism. 



The thirteenth paper contains an account of Miiller'a views of the reflex 

 function of the spinal marrow. 



This is a subject of much importance, and replete with inductions of the 

 most striking interest. We are indebted to Dr. Marshall Hall for the new 



