Nov. 14, 1889] 



NATURE 



29 



her own little girl. She commences the account with 

 some very valuable remarks on the right order of studies. 



" The first intellectual faculties to be trained are per- 

 ception and memory. The subjects of the child's first 

 studies should therefore be selected, not on account of 

 their ultimate utility, but on account of their influence 

 upon the development of these faculties. What sense is 

 there then in beginning education with instruction in the 

 arts of reading and writing ? . . . From the modern stand- 

 point, that education means such an unfolding of the 

 faculties as shall put the mind into the widest and most 

 effective relation with the entire world of things — spiritual 

 and material, — there is an exquisite absurdity in the time- 

 honoured method. To study words before things tends 

 to impress the mind with a fatal belief in their superior 

 importance." 



As forms and colours are the elements of all visual 

 impressions. Dr. Jacobi began to teach her child geome- 

 trical forms before she was four years of age. At four 

 and a half the little girl began elementary colours. After- 

 wards she made acquaintance with the points of the 

 compass, the main ideas of perspective, and then maps 

 and geography. The study of number, of course by 

 concrete illustrations, followed that of form and outline. 

 The observation of natural objects, especially that of 

 plants and plant-life, was then commenced. The growth of 

 beans and hyacinths was carefully watched, and the daily 

 observations made by the child were written down by 

 the mother, till she attempted them herself, and became 

 gradually initiated into the mysteries of writing. This 

 led her on easily to the art of reading when she was about 

 six years of age. The progress of the child's mental 

 development during these early years is fully described, 

 with many pleasant recollections of her sayings. 



The third part consists merely of a criticism of Miss 

 Youman's views on the teaching of botany, and an 

 argument in favour of commencing in a child's education 

 with the flower rather than the leaf 



Half the book, however, is occupied by the fourth essay, 

 in which the authoress treats of " The Place for the Study 

 of Language in a Curriculum of Education." Of course she 

 places it after the mind has been trained to deal with sense 

 perceptions of external objects ; but she contends earnestly 

 for the importance of the study of words, especially for 

 the power it possesses of enabling the child to form 

 abstract conceptions. The authoress enters largely into 

 the brain action involved in the use of verbal signs or 

 complex ideas, and illustrates her views of the matter by 

 means of physiological diagrams. She also describes a 

 little device for the comparison of verbal roots, which she 

 terms " language tetrahedrons," and which are intended 

 to show the relation between Latin, French, German, and 

 English, She would devote to literary studies, including 

 English, the best part of the time between the Kinder- 

 garten training and the age of fourteen. 



" To the study of words may be brought the scientific 

 methods used in the study of things — observation, analysis, 

 comparison, classification ; and the child may thus begin 

 to be trained for physical science at a time when 

 the pursuit of most physical sciences is impossible." 



It may be that Dr. Mary Jacobi claims too much time 

 for the study of language, but the old-fashioned education- 

 alists will get little consolation from her concessions ; for 

 she not only places the study of words after that of things, 



but she would have several forms of Aryan speech 

 studied simultaneously, and she would postpone the 

 study of grammar till two years after the serious study 

 of language has commenced. She believes that the 

 power of abstraction and the general mental training 

 gained by these philological studies will enable the young 

 person at an early age to enter upon more serious matters 

 of study or those of more immediate practical utility. 



J. H. G. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Steam-Engine Design. By Jay M. Whitham, Professor of 

 Engineering, Arkansas Industrial University. (London : 

 Macmillan and Co., 1889.) 



In this work the author treats of the application of the 

 principles of mechanics to the design of the parts of a 

 steam-engine of any type or for any duty. He acknow- 

 ledges that he has culled as much information as he has 

 required from well-known sources, both English and 

 American ; and he has embodied, as a sort of foundation 

 for his work, a course of lectures given to his class at the 

 United States Naval Academy by P.A. Engineer John C. 

 Kafer, U.S.N. 



After careful study, we can say that the book appears 

 to be well suited for its purpose. The arrangement of 

 information, both principles and details, is much the 

 same as that in Mr. A. E. Seaton's excellent work on 

 marine engineering ; but the field covered is of far less 

 extent, and the boiler and its accessories are not included. 

 The author being a Professor of Engineering in an 

 American University, we expected to find some variations 

 from our own practice in steam-engine design. In this, 

 however, we were disappointed. A few of the woodcuts 

 represent parts of engines differing in insignificent details 

 from those used in this country, but the main design is 

 practically the same. It is gratifying to find many of our 

 own engineers quoted as authorities in the volume — viz. 

 D. K. Clark, A. E. Seaton, R. Sennett, and many other 

 well-known English authorities. 



It must not be supposed that there is no original work 

 in this book. Chapters ii. and iii. for instance, on the 

 design of slide valves and reversing gears, are ample 

 evidence of hard work on the part of the author : his 

 descriptions and diagrams of the various motions are 

 excellent. Chapter iv. deals with the general design and 

 proportions of the steam-chest, valves with their various 

 connections. Chapters v. and vi. are on compound and 

 triple-expansion engines, and contain also a theoretical 

 treatment of indicator diagrams of a compound engine. 

 These chapters are well written, and contain much useful 

 information, but as a whole they do not teach anything 

 new. To chapters vii. and viii., written by P.A. En- 

 gineer Asa M. Mattice, U.S.N., the same remarks will 

 apply. The remaining chapters deal with the design of 

 the various other parts of a steam-engine. The methods 

 used are those well understood in every drawing-office 

 worthy of the name, and they need not be further noticed 

 here. 



Taken as a whole, the book deserves praise for good 

 and careful work ; and we may especially call attention to 

 the theoretical considerations, which are always clearly 

 expressed. Although published by Messrs. Macmillan, 

 the work is from an American press, that of Messrs. 

 Ferris Bros., New York. The printing and woodcuts are 

 excellent — far better, as usual, than English work of the 

 same class. N. J. L. 



Coloured Analytical Tables. By H. W. Hake, Ph.D., 

 F.I.C., F.C.S. (London : George Phillip and Son, 1889.) 



Novelties in text-books of elementary qualitative ana- 

 lysis are usually conspicuous by their absence, but the 



