LITERARY NOTICES. 



275 



physical sense, but as condensed, emphatic 

 utterances of the theological truth — in this 

 case of God the Creator — which in the mind 

 of the author predominates over the scien- 

 tific truth. The labors of modern geologists 

 do not affect the truths, before announced, 

 in regard to the creation of the world, for 

 the simple reason that they refer not to the 

 workman, but to the physical characters of 

 the work. " This distinction now begins to 

 be understood, and will be so more and 

 more, as the truths of religion and the truths 

 of science are seen to be of different orders, 

 sometimes apparently blended, but never act- 

 ually confounded. . . . Three thousand years 

 ago or upward, Theology in the Eastern world 

 stood unconfounded with science, and men 

 heard from her, and were satisfied with the 

 response; that 'in the beginning God cre- 

 ated the heaven and the earth' — that 'God 

 said, Let there be light, and there was light ' ; 

 and they heard the number of the days of 

 creation also, and were satisfied ; and simi- 

 larly, in our times, it may be affirmed that 

 Science stands on her own ground, unoccu- 

 pied by theology, and expounds facts and es- 

 tablishes conclusions, no longer fearing or 

 being feared ; and men are now, in regard 

 to science, what they used to be in regard to 

 religion — free and unembarrassed, serving 

 bat one master. And this is the more worthy 

 of observation when we recollect the history 

 of the intervening period — how science has 

 been confounded with religion, and religion 

 with science, to the detriment and dishonor 

 of both. ... It is only when each pursues 

 that order and series of truths which are pe- 

 culiar to each that any mutual benefit can 

 arise; but, when they encroach on each 

 other's provinces, the most baleful effects 

 ensue." The presentation of this branch of 

 the subject, and the chapters on The Origin 

 and Perpetuation of the Natural Races of 

 Mankind, and Unity in Variety of the Human 

 Race, are followed by studies of certain par- 

 ticular nationalities. 



An Introduction to Natcral Philosophy. 

 By Denison Olmsted, LL. D. Fourth re- 

 vised edition, bv Samuel Sheldon, Ph. D. 

 New York: The Baker & Taylor Com- 

 pany. Pp. 465. Price, $2.75. 

 It is nearly half a century since Olm- 

 sted's Philosophy was first published, and 

 although the progress of modern knowledge 



in this period has made four revisions neces- 

 sary, the name and plan of the author arc 

 still deemed worthy of being retained. For 

 the present revision the whole book has been 

 carefully gone over, the chief efforts of the 

 editor being spent in rewriting the parts 

 treating of Electricity and Magnetism. The 

 subjects Force, Energy, Work, Wave-mo- 

 tions, Organ-pipes, Spectrum Analysis, and 

 Interference of Light- waves have also been 

 almost entirely rewritten. Extended descrip- 

 tion of apparatus has been avoided. A few 

 striking experiments have been described, 

 but the choice of demonstration has been 

 left largely to the instructor. Many new 

 drawings, chiefly in outline, have been made. 

 The work is adapted to college students. It 

 would be improved by the addition of an al- 

 phabetical index. 



The Chapters on Electricity, written by 

 Prof. Samuel Slieldon for the above trea- 

 tise, are also published separately (Baker & 

 Taylor Company, $1.25). This volume is 

 intended for use in those colleges which de- 

 vote but thirty or forty hours to the subject, 

 and the principles presented in it are those 

 which the author thinks every liberally edu- 

 cated person should know. It has been the 

 desire of the author to present each part of 

 the subject in its most modern dress. This 

 desire, however, has been tempered by a 

 consideration of the intended functions cf 

 the book. 



Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds, or 

 Organic Chemistry. By Vktor ton 

 RicHTER. Authorized translation by Ed- 

 gar F. Smith. Second American from 

 the sixth German edition. Philadelphia: 

 P. Blakiston, Son & Co. Pp. 1040. 

 Price, $3. 



This work is sufficiently detailed to meet 

 the wants of advanced students of organic 

 chemistry, and to serve as a reference-book 

 for practical chemists. The present edition 

 differs considerably in its arrangement and 

 size from the first edition. The introduction 

 contains added matter upon analysis, the de- 

 termination of molecular weights, recent 

 theories on chemical structure, electric con- 

 ductivity, etc. The section devoted to the car- 

 bohydrates has been entirely rewritten, and 

 presents the most recent views in regard to 

 their constitution. The sections relating to 

 the trimethylene, tctramethylene, and penta- 



