578 



NAJUKE 



{April 18, 1 8 89 



In the section on Substitution or Replacement we 

 read : — 



"■ It takes but a slight imagination to see in many 

 reactions analogies with the diplomatic methods of human 

 affairs. Thus the reduction of potassi im dichromate to 

 chromic chloride in tlie presence of alcohol and hydro- 

 chloric acid, is particularly suggestive of what in politics 

 is called a 'deal,' or in diplomacy an 'understanding.' 

 ... So again, in the case of bleaching by moist chlorine, 

 the reaction H.p -f CI2 = 2HCI -}- O becomes possible 

 if there is some substance to take up the O. Ctherwise 

 there is no reaction, as O refuses to be put out and allow 

 H to dissolve their partnership, and unite with CI, unless 

 provided for. But if an easily-decomposed organic sub- 

 stance can be procured, the reaction can be consum- 

 mated. The colouring matter is attacked by the O, and 

 the H and CI unite, all participants being apparently 

 satisfied." 



Now if truth be the test of real humour, it follows that 

 this humour, if humour at all, is false. At best it is but 

 a tawdry imitation of the style of " Die Verlobung in der 

 Bleikammer," which Dr. Austen seems to admire. 



In a lecture on the Nature of Affinity we are told that 

 " no word has been more abused than 'affinity.' Used 

 in the sense to denote the tendency or desire to combine, 

 the word is proper, and in its right place." And this is 

 how Dr. Austen illustrates the "proper" use of the 

 term :— 



"HBr + CI = HCl + Br. 



"Assume that H represents a young lady from the 

 High School, Br a bore, and CI a College student, and 

 the mechanism of the reaction becomes at once apparent." 

 The parable is probably intended to indicate a " rock '' 

 or a " shoal " on which the chemical student may get 

 wrecked if he does not take care. Indeed, the too- 

 susceptible Dr. Austen cannot keep the " fair sex " 

 out of his pages. The following burst of eloquence is 

 culled from a lecture " On the Chemical Factor in 

 Human Progress" (p. 62): — "To what an extent is 

 the fair sex indebted to the humble chemist ! We have 

 given them the wonderful aniline colours, which would 

 put Solomon in all his glory to shame, and compel the 

 peacock to hide both his head and his tail in bedazzled 

 desuetude." "Bedazzled desuetude" is not bad, and Dr. 

 Austen has prudently copyrighted it, with the rest of the 

 work. We take breath and read on : — " We can make 

 artificial blushes, heart palpitations, and alabaster com- 

 plexions, ... we can change raven locks to tresses of 

 glinting gold, or vice versa; we can supply eyes of any 

 shade of colour, as well as any number or kind of teeth. 

 In fact, the chemist is to the girl of the epoch what the 

 lamp was to Aladdin— only more so." The " girl of the 

 epoch" is doubtless properly grateful, and we hope "the 

 man of the time " is equally so, when he knows that his 

 " overcoat may have in it the remains of ball dresses and 

 prison shirts. It may have laid on luxurious beds; or in 

 the gutter, or both." 



Dr. Austen proceeds to inquire, " what is the effect of 

 the increasing accuracy in chemical analysis upon our 

 civilization. Chemical analysis is the balance-sheet of 

 trade. It establiihes responsibility. It says to the 

 cheat, honoured and respected though he may be in the 

 community, and there are countless thousands of them, 

 ' Thou art the man ! ' It comp.ls accuracy of statement— 



r'gid truth " After this astonishing example of " accuracy 

 of statement,'' the reader will be prepared for anything, 

 and we might give him a dozen instances of the same 

 kind of "rigid truth" if it were worth while to spend 

 more time on this silly production. We are only too 

 thankful that this uncertificated che.nical pilot has not 

 attempted to include more of the rocks and shoals on 

 which the student may g;t wrecked. 



The whole book is a jumble of feeble sentiments, false 

 statements, and mischievous reasoning, thrown together 

 with no attempt at order or connection. The spirit of 

 prophecy was surely on him when Dr. Austen wrote this 

 brilliant passage in " The Chemical Factor," &c. (p. 56) : 

 " Tangle your cord ever so intricately, the chemist will 

 cut it at a single stroke, and will pric c the bubble of your 

 silly babble." The metaphors are mixed, but the meaning 

 is clear. 



In concluding this notice of a book about which it is 

 impossible to say a single good word, we are sufficiently 

 mindful of the Laureate's saying about the saiire which 

 has no pity in it to offer Dr. Austen the grain of comfort 

 which is contained in his own statement (p. 48): "The 

 more the world abuses you, the more reason you have to 

 suppose that you have evolved an idea that has some 

 claim to be oriijinal." 



THE BEST FORAGE CROPS. 

 The Best Forage Crops. By Drs. Stebler and Schrdter. 

 Translated by A. N. McAlpine, B.Sc. Lond. (London 

 David Nutt, 1889.) 



DR. STEBLER'S well-known work, " Die besten 

 Futterpflanzen," has found a translator into English- 

 A French translation is also before us, so that it is now 

 available to everyone who spea'is any one of the three 

 great languages of the civilized world. It may be de- 

 scribed as a complete account of the herbage which con- 

 stitutes permanent pasturage and rotation grasses. The 

 precise technical value of the word Futterpflanzen we 

 do not attempt to give, although forage or fodder crop 

 appears to be the correct English equivalent. An English 

 agriculturist would, however, be somewhat surprised to 

 find in a work dealing with the best forage crops no men- 

 tion made of what are looked upon in this country as the 

 best fodder crops. We are accustomed to rank such 

 crops as vetches, rape, winter rye, trifolium, kale, and 

 cabbage, as among the forage crops ; and even swedes, 

 mangel, carrots, and parsnips, although separately classed 

 as root crops, would not be improperly included in the 

 same des gnation. By fodder crops we usually mean 

 plants cultivated for their leafy herbage for forage, and 

 " grass " and " hay " would come under the designation. 

 Dr. Stebler's work deals exclusively uith these last sec- 

 tions of the class fodder crops. We therefore consider 

 the title of this work, as rendered into English, too am- 

 bitious, as it is scarcely a " complete account " of the 

 best-known forage plants, but an exhaustive treatise upon 

 some of the less-known ones, most of which are included 

 by English farmers under the term pasture or meadow 

 grasses. 



These remarks apply to the title only, and are not to 

 be considered as detracting from the value of the book^ 

 which is unquestionably very great. The number of facts 



