MiicheU's Elements of Natural Philosophy. 227 



talents in different people. — Of dreams. — Dreams influenced by 

 bodily sensations. — Of the renewal of the frame. — Of memory. — 

 Influence of the will in our intellectual operations. — Nature of 

 the soul incomprehensible. — Phaenomena relating to the intel- 

 lectual faculties. — Of instincts. — Of the instinctive organs ac- 

 cording to Dr. Gall's system. — Of the analogy between reason 

 and instinct. — Of the intellectual organs according to Dr. Gall's 

 system. — Anatomical, physiological and pathological proofs 

 against the same system. — Other objections. — Of materialism. 

 ^— Of fatalism. — Of moral liberty. — Of the two-fold nature of 

 man. — Influence of the organization. — Allusions to Scripture. — » 

 Of prison discipline. — Impropriety of assize-balls. — Of simple 

 exile as a punishment.' — Of death as a punishment. — Dr. Gall's 

 system, a source of apologies for crimes. — Review of Dr. Gall's 

 arguments respecting mental alienation. 



The Eleme?its of Natural Philosophy: Illustrated throughout 

 ly Experiments which may be performed without regidar 

 apparatus. By James Mitchkll, M. A. 8vo. pp. 362^ 

 Although many treatises on a popular plan have been written 

 on the Elements of Natural Philosophy, the experiments by which 

 the principles of the science are illustrated, are, as the author of 

 the present work justly remarks, in general such as can only be 

 performed by means of a large assortment of philosophical' in- 

 struments; and the individual who studies in private can only 

 refer to the plates, and endeavour in his imagination to form 

 an idea of what he reads. The work before us solicits distinction, 

 on the ground that all the illustrations are drawn from the more 

 ordinary phaenomena of nature, from objects met with in com- 

 mon life, from experiments which may be performed with such 

 things as a j)erson in most circumstances may easily procure ; 

 and there can be no doubt that on such a ground there is room 

 for establishing a very high claim to utility. 



Mr. Mitchell's style of demonstration is in general sufficiently 

 plain and perspicuous : if it wants any thing, it is a little more 

 precision. The work aims in a particular manner at the instruc- 

 tion of the young; and nothing can be more likely to lead a phi- 

 losophical tyro astray than a loose indication of essential princi- 

 ples. The experimental illustrations, on the strength of which 

 the author rests his chief hopes of approbation, are uniformly of 

 the simplest description, in many instances very apt, and, with a 

 few exceptions, well calculated to impart clear ideas of the posi- 

 tions they are employed to elucidate and establish. We shall 

 subjoin a few specimens extracted at random. 



Oil Momentum, — " Some animals act instinctively as if they 

 perfectly understood the art of increasing their momentum. A 



P2 ram 



