24 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY. [January. 



tions, and illustrations prepared by Sir William for the different works 

 he had published. 



During the meeting a letter was read from His Excellency, the 

 Governor-General, expressing his regret at being unable to attend. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Essentials of Bacteriology. By M. V. Ball, M. D. Philadelphia. 

 ^\'. B. Saunders, Pub. 1S91, pp. 159. hgs. 77. 



The author, who is assistant in microscopy at Niagara University, 

 Buffalo, has undertaken a concise and systematic handbook for students 

 of micro-organisms, and in 150 pages has brought within the grasp of 

 any intelligent student the substance of all that is thus far known about 

 bacteria and their manipulation. Dr. Ball studied in Berlin under 

 Koch and Friinkel. He has compiled largely from the following books : 



Alace : Traite pratique de Bacteriologie. 



Salmonson : Bacteriological Technique. 



Friinkel : Grundriss der Bakterienkunde. 



Eisenberg : Bakteriologische Diagnostik. 



Gunther : Einfiihring in das Studium der Bacteriologie. 



Crookschank : Manual of Bacteriology. 



Woodhead & Hare : Pathological Mycology. 



The books cited are the most important works on the subject. To 

 this list Dr. Ball's book should be added, as constituting an epitome of 

 them all. His illustrations and head-lines go far towards giving clear- 

 ness to the subject. The publisher, who offers this volume as No. 20 

 of a series of Qirestion Compends, has presented the book in nice form, 

 but he has added to it a long catalogue of books. When one turns to 

 the end of the volume to find an index it is annoying to find instead a 

 lot of advertisements. But the book is so good in this case that we 

 merely say, " Don't do so some more." 



School and College. Edited by Ray Greene Huling. Monthly, 

 64 pp. Ginn & Co., Boston. $1.50 per annum. 



As the name indicates, it is expected to cater to educational interests 

 of the higher sort. The improvement and co-ordination of secondary 

 and higher education is announced as its leading theme. One of the 

 early problems for solution is to be the question of time and expense 

 wasted over entrance examinations. Compulsory Greek is another 

 urgent topic, and if Brother Huling succeeds in driving Greek to the 

 rear we shall, for that alone, consider that he has not lived in vain, 

 editorially speaking. 



The Sanitarian. A monthly publication edited by Dr. A. N. Bell. 

 96 pp. $4.00 per year. Clubbed with this journal, $3.50. 



The Sanitarian is devoted to the promotion of sanitation, mentally 

 and physically. It includes the investigation, presentation, and discus- 

 sion of all subjects in this large domain, as related to personal and 

 household hygiene, domicile, soil and climate, food and drink, mental 

 and physical culture, habit and exercise, occupation, vital statistics, 

 sanitarv organizations and laws. Everything promotive of or in con- 

 flict with health is included, with the purpose of rendering sanitation 

 a popular theme of study and universally practical. 



