June 8, 1883.] 



* KNOWLEDGE 



345 



shot and shell, whether at a nearly equaWe rate or not, 

 without receiving fresh supplies of ammunition. 



Professor Thomson is led by a consideration of the 

 necessary order of cooling and consolidation of the earth, 

 to infer that the interior of our world is not, as commonly 

 supposed, all liquid, within a thin, solid crust of from 30 

 to 100 miles thick, but that it is on the whole more rigid 

 than a continuous solid globe of glass of the same 

 diameter, and probably more rigid than such a globe of 

 steel. 



ORGAXIC CHEMISTIIY.* 



Oroaxic chemistry — or, more correctly, the chemistry of 

 the carbon compounds — is regarded by many as a dry and 

 disagreeable study — the mere investigation of alkaloids. 

 Yet it is, in truth, the key to the study of life. It is a 

 study calling into exercise not only observation and expe- 

 riment, but close and careful reasoning. The book before 

 us has dealt with this important subject — as fully and 

 completely as could possibly, we think, be done within its 

 limits — in such a way as to prepare the student to read 

 understandingly, and with interest, the literature of 

 organic chemistry. It is intended as a textbook, not 

 a dictionary, of compounds, or a work of reference. 

 It seems admirably adapted for the purposes of the 

 teacher. In particular we must recommend the system 

 by which, at the end of each group, there is a retro- 

 spect, re\iewing the compounds considered, and surveying 

 the typical reactions and inter-relations of the various 

 classes of substances. These retrospects, following on the 

 detailed facts relating to each group, are much more intel- 

 ligible and much more useful to the student than thej' can 

 be as sometimes presented — that is, as broad generalisa- 

 tions respecting groups of compounds with which the 

 student'is little acquainted. Dr. Austen has preserved the 

 pleasant lecture style of Prof. Pinner's book, and he has 

 added the more important recent discoveries in organic 

 chemistry, making free use of suitable textbooks and 

 works of reference. The book is one we can cordially re- 

 commend to students of organic chemistrj-. 



EUROPEAN MINERAL WATERS, t 



Mineral waters are so often recommended as specific 

 remedies for diseases, or for conditions threatening 

 disease, that it is well to have trustworthy statements 

 respecting their real value. There are those who assert 

 that the " waters " themselves have less to do with the 

 benefits attained from spas than the regimen enjoined. But 

 no physician doubts the efficacy of magnesium and soda 

 salts, though many would be perplexed to define the precise 

 results which might be expected — apart from regimen — to 

 follow the use of mineral waters of complex composition. 

 Be this as it may, it is important to ha\e a trustworthy 

 work of reference, like this book before us, in regard to the 

 chief mineral waters. In particular it is well that the 

 errors repeated in many of the books about mineral waters 

 (errors largely arising from changes which have taken place 

 in the composition of these waters) should be corrected. 



* " An Introduction to the Study of Organic Chemistrr." By 

 Adolph Pinner, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry in the University of 

 Berlin. Translated and revised from the fifth German edition by 

 Peter T. Austen, Ph.D., F.C.S., Professor of Chemistry, Rutgers 

 College, and the New Jersey State Scientific School. (London : 

 Trubner 4 Co.) 



+ " The Mineral Waters of Europe ; inclndinCT a short description 

 of Artificial Mineral Waters." By C. E. C. Tinhborne, LL.D., 

 F.E.C.S., &c., and Prosser James", M.D., M.R.C.P. (London: 

 Baillifre, Tindall, & Cox.) 



This has been done, and done well, in I»r. Tichborne's work. 

 The waters have been either examined specially for this 

 purpose, or use has been made of the work of recent 

 analysts of competent skill. The new analyses are nearly 

 one hundred in number, and represent work extending 

 over three years. The chapters on the therapeutical action 

 and uses of the several mineral waters, liy Dr. Prosser 

 James (which alternate with those written liy Dr. Tich- 

 borne) are based on practical knowledge, obtained at the 

 source of many of the most important waters. 



POEMS FOR PENNY READINGS.* 



For Penny Readings some folks fancy such poems and 

 ballads as Tennyson, 8cott, Burns, Adelaide Procter, 

 Aytoun, and some other poets known rather favourably to 

 fame, have written. But this fault is to be found with all 

 such poems — the reader must always be to some degree 

 doubtful whether the applause which follows the reading is 

 due to the beauty of the poem or to the ability with which 

 it has been read. The great merit of the collection before 

 us is that it leaves room for no doubt of this sort. We 

 know of no seriously intended poems better in this respect, 

 and only of one poem better among those not so intended 

 — to wit, the one which relates to "Lost Mr. Blake." A 

 reader who could move the feelings and rouse emotion by 

 the sweet poem which begins — 



Mr. Blake was a regrular out-and-out liardened sinner, 



Who was quite out of the pale of Christianity, so to speak ; 

 He was in the habit of smoking a long pipe and drinking a glass of 

 grog on a Sunday after dinner, 

 And seldom tliought of going to church more than twice or — if 

 Good Friday or Christmas Day happened to come in 

 it — three times a week, 



might be as successful with Agra's poems and ballads. 



The volume opens with a poem after (rather a long way 

 after) the Burial of Moore. It relates to Lieut. Brookes, at 

 Tel-el-Kebir, beginning, and also closing, with the touching 

 lines : 



Bury him in the blood-stained sand. 

 On the spot where he bravely fell. 

 With his broken spade in his cold right hand — 

 The spade that he swung so well. 



But " The Water-logged Barque " is, to our taste, the 

 finest thing in the book. At the outset the barque 

 was under full sail, " a mountain of snow, inexpressibly 

 grand," the " royals glancing in the light of the morning 

 sun ;" 



" While the foresail, bulging out before, 

 Swell'd in the breeze still more and more, 



Seem'd, as it were, a cathedral dome 

 Dark in the shadow." 



But the skipper saw that this was no time 



" To gazo 

 On the snow-white canvas' towering maze," 



So he 



" Spoke to the mate, who sang out the hail, 

 ' Get in the flying jib and the gaff top-aail.' " 



So actively did the crew attend to this and " succeeding 

 orders following fast," that "the main-sail was .stow'd ere 

 noon was past ; " and even this work of stowing the main- 

 sail in a few hours did not show the full activity of the 

 crew ; for some of them had been below, whence, however, 

 they were called. 



The ship was stripp'd and close recf'd at last. 

 The weather changed, it began to blow. 



*" Poems and Ballads for Penny Readings." By Agra. (Wyman 

 & Sons. London.) 



