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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



archaeological and historical societies and 

 academies ; biographies of the great per- 

 sonages of the Revolution ; memoirs on the 

 relations between France and Europe dur- 

 ing the revolutionary period, or what may 

 be called the foreign policy of the Revolu- 

 tion ; and the publication of documents. 

 The author traces a bond of connection of 

 the Revolution with America, for, " with- 

 out the successful termination of the Amer- 

 ican War of Independence, it may be doubted 

 whether the French Revolution would have 

 developed as it did, or whether it would 

 have taken place at all." We have still an- 

 other community of interest in the subject, 

 for "nearly every expedient, whether so- 

 cialistic or purely democratic, which has 

 been proposed of recent years for benefit- 

 ing the condition of the people, was tried 

 between 1789 and 1799, and if history has 

 any value at all, it is this period which 

 ought to be examined before any other, in 

 order to learn the political lessons which 

 it teaches." 



The Pfdigree of Disease. By Jonathan 

 Hutchinson, F. R. S. New York : Will- 

 iam Wood k Co. Pp. 113. Price, 81.25. 



This volume includes six lectures on tem- 

 perament, idiosyncrasy, and diathesis, which 

 were delivered in the theatre of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons. The author starts out 

 by deducing from the examination of the 

 facts supposed to indicate temperament, the 

 conclusion that part of those facts are mere- 

 ly the characteristics of different races, and 

 another part merely the products of past 

 disease — personal or inherited ; so that, giv- 

 ing these what belongs to them, there is 

 little left of it. Idiosyncrasy is defined as a 

 peculiarity of constitution in some one par- 

 ticular feature developed to an excessive 

 height or " individuality run mad." As here 

 treated, it concerns special liability to cer- 

 tain diseases or to peculiar affections from 

 particular kinds of food or drugs. Diathesis 

 is the same in a less definite and rather 

 vague form. In the discussion of it the 

 author considers three great universal diath- 

 eses dependent upon the very commonest 

 causes of disease by which man and other 

 beings have been assailed from primeval 

 times — the catarrhal, the rheumatic, and 

 the scrofulous. Close to these are others 



of less importance but of parallel nature, 

 and comprising all within range of lia- 

 bility — those of senile degradation and ma- 

 lignant new growths (cancer). Following 

 these are other important diatheses, widely 

 spread but not universal, since they depend 

 upon local exposure ; while hesitation is 

 expressed whether the malarial diathesis 

 ought not to be regarded as primary or 

 universal. These views involve the recog- 

 nition of the doctrine of hereditary trans- 

 mission, and indicate that we ought to study 

 disease as being, not of recent origin, or in 

 dependence solely upon existing influences, 

 but rather as that in which many seek 

 truthfully to " read the record of a long 

 descent." 



Outlines of Lectures on Physiology. By 

 T. Wesley Mills. Montreal : W. Drys- 

 dale & Co. Pp. 200. Price, $1. 



The author of this book is Professor of 

 Physiology in McGill University, Montreal. 

 The " Outlines " consist of the simplest and 

 briefest statements of the principles of the 

 science, such as might have served for the 

 notes out of which the fuller lectures were 

 elaborated. They appear to cover the whole 

 field in its several departments, and to be 

 adapted to give to the student who masters 

 them such command of the subjects as books 

 can afford, and to guide him in his experi- 

 ments. An introductory chapter on general 

 biology, and an appendix containing labo- 

 ratory exercises in practical physiology, are 

 also given. 



Elementary Politics. By Thomas Raleigh. 

 London : Henry Frowde. Pp.163. Price, 

 25 cents. 



Accepting the observation which some 

 one has made, that " if men would only de- 

 fine the terms which they use in argument, 

 most controversies would end before they 

 begin," Mr. Raleigh has attempted in this 

 useful little book to define the terms which 

 are commonly used in political argument. 

 The book is not meant to be a compendium 

 of information, nor a summary of orthodox 

 political doctrine; "not to satisfy but to 

 stimulate inquiry " ; not to form the read- 

 er's opinions, but to induce him to form 

 opinions of his own. The chapter headings 

 under which the definitions are given are, 



