LITERARY NOTICES. 



8+9 



may be employed for certain cases in edu- 

 cation. Finally, the accomplishing of crimi- 

 nal acts upon or by means of a hypnotized 

 person, and the obtaining of true or false 

 testimony by means of hypnotism, constitute 

 a branch of the subject which society may 

 soon have to take serious account of. Al- 

 though dealing with phenomena that border 

 on the marvelous, this book is not at all 

 sensational, and the reader may rest assured 

 that it will give him a sound scientific view 

 of the interesting field which it covers. 



An Inqciry into Socialism. By Thomas 

 KiRKCP. London and New York : Long- 

 mans, Green & Co. Pp. 188. Price, 

 $1.50. 



An intelligent exposition of the princi- 

 ples and aims of socialism from one of its 

 supporters is certainly welcome at the pres- 

 ent time, when public attention is directed 

 so universally toward important socialistic 

 movements. This volume presents the au- 

 thor's views as to the evils of the existing 

 industrial system, his interpretation of the 

 essential ideas of socialism, and a review of 

 the prospects of the latter. It is a very 

 readable work, is well written, and gives in 

 small compass a great deal of useful in- 

 formation and valuable discussion upon all 

 the topics above mentioned. It is of simi- 

 lar character to Professor Graham's " So- 

 cial Problems," though going beyond the 

 latter in its belief in the efiicacy of socialism 

 as a system to remedy the ills afflicting so- 

 ciety. 



We think the account of the evils of 

 the present industrial system is the best 

 part of the book. We are quite unable to 

 agree with the author in his evidently sin- 

 cere conviction that socialism will furnish 

 any permanent remedy for those ills, and 

 do not think he demonstrates how it can. 

 This, however, is a matter of difference 

 in fundamental principles. But the main 

 criticism we pass upon the work before 

 us is that it stretches the term socialism 

 so far as to embrace almost everything 

 that makes for the improvement of human 

 life and conditions. Socialism is justice, 

 altruism, practical Christianity, progress, 

 social evolution ; and these in turn are so- 

 cialism. We are unable to allow the pro- 

 priety of thus connecting the latter term 

 with all these beneficent things. As most 



VOL XXXII. — 54 



people suppose, socialism is in principle the 

 accomplishment by state action of co-opera- 

 tive production and the equalization of dis- 

 tribution, using the state for positive amel- 

 ioration, instead of confining its offices 

 to guaranteeing liberty and security. We 

 should not let our enthusiasm for any ism 

 run away with our powers of observation ; 

 and certainly these, if properly exercised, 

 would show us that it is highly premature 

 at any rate to cover by the common desig- 

 nations socialism and socialistic all the ideals 

 of a better social order, and all the most 

 promising methods for attaining it. But 

 this is really what the author seems to do ; 

 he makes a cult, and worships blindly an 

 idealized deity, without taking suflBcient 

 pains to find out the real character of his 

 idol. 



The Ventilation and Warming of School- 

 Buildings. By Gilbert B. Morrison. 

 "International Education Series," Vol. 

 IV. New York : D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 

 173. Price, 75 cents. 



The author of this treatise presents 

 both the theoretical and the practical sides 

 of his subject, and the principles which he 

 sets forth are applicable to all other build- 

 ings as well as to school-houses. He describes 

 first the necessity for ventilation, and the 

 methods of detecting impurities in air, and 

 then discusses various modes of natural and 

 artificial ventilation. His chapter on ven- 

 tilation by windows will prove useful in 

 many cases where no better means for the 

 purpose exist. Another chapter gives care- 

 ful estimates of the cost of ventilating. 

 The subject of warming is treated in a 

 similar manner, and the final chapter of the 

 volume is devoted to the ideal plan for 

 warming and ventilating combined, which 

 has grown out of the author's study of these 

 allied subjects. An appendix contains va- 

 rious thermal formulas and notes in regard 

 to certain mechanical ventilating appliances. 

 The volume is illustrated. 



The Annual Report of the Chief Signal- 

 Officer FOR 1886. Washington: War 

 Department. Pp. 500. 

 This volume contains the usual statistics 

 in regard to military signaling and the 

 Government Weather Bureau. The propor- 

 tion of weather indications verified during 

 the year was 78 '4 8 per cent. 



