July 4, 1884] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



13 



column, the places of its occurrence in England and 

 Wales ; in the third the localities of its occurrence abroad ; 

 in the fourth its lithological or petrological character ; in 

 the fifth the climate prevailing when it was deposited ; in 

 the sixth the leading fossils which characterise it ; in the 

 seventh its thickness in the British Isles ; while the eighth 

 is occupied with general elucidative remarks. Finally 

 comes a map of England and Wales, in which the forma- 

 tion treated of only is coloured (this strikes us as an excel- 

 lent idea) ; while opposite each map is a well-executed 

 chart containing drawings of the fossils most characteristic 

 of the rocks described. Then follows a chapter on the 

 igneous rocks, a table of the classification of the animal 

 kingdom — together with the more important fossil ex- 

 amples of each division ; while the work concludes with a 

 glossary of the geological and pala;ontological terms em- 

 ployed in the body of it. No one about to make a tour in 

 his own country this summer should omit Mr. Barnes's 

 capital little book from his outfit. 



Handbooks : International Health Exhibition (London : 

 William Clowes i Son. 1884). — This eminently practical 

 series of handbooks is worthy of the large circulation which 

 it will undoubtedly command. In it Mr. Paget deals with 

 "Healthy Schools;" Mr. Acland, C.B., E.R.S., with 

 "Health in the Village;" Dr. Attfiekl, F.R.S., with "Water, 

 Water Supplies, and Unfermented Beverages ; " IMr. Berd- 

 more on " The Principles of Cooking ; " Miss C. T. Wood 

 on " Food and Cookery for Infants and Invalids " (with an 

 introduction by Dr. Cheadle) ; Surgeon-Major Evatt on 

 " Ambulance Organisation, Equipment, and Transport ; " 

 and Capt. Shaw, C.B., on " Fires and Fire Brigades." Of 

 these capital little volumes, the second, fifth, and sixth are 

 illustrated, Mr. Acland's and Dr. Evatt's profusely, while 

 Capt. Shaw gives a series of engravings depicting the 

 appliances for extinguishing fire in 1667, 1707, and 1884. 

 The reader interested in either of the subjects discussed in 

 this series may select his volume by its title, with the 

 certainty that he will find the matter treated of at once 

 pleasantly, intelligently, and (for practical purposes) 

 exhaustively. 



A Practical Iniroductioji to Medi.cal Electricity. By 

 A. DE Wattetille, M.A., M.D., B.Sc, &c. Second 

 Edition. (London : H. K. Lewis. 1884.)— Dr. de Watte- 

 ville's book furnishes a species of Thesavirus for the medical 

 electrician, so thoroughly is every branch of its subject 

 treated on. There is, unhappily, so much advertising 

 quackery in connection with medical — or pseudo-medical — 

 electricity nowadays, that a real and appreciable service is 

 rendered to therapeutics by a physician of our author's 

 professional standing offering such an exj osition as that 

 whose title heads this notice, based upon purely scientific 

 principles. In it he discusses the leading theorems of 

 electro-physics, describes in detail the various forms of 

 apparatus employed, and treats in succeeding chapters 

 of electro-physiology, electro-diagnosis, and electro-thera- 

 peutics. His volume should be on the shelves of ths 

 consulting-room of every one whose name appears in the 

 Medical Register. 



Treatise on Consumption : A Work for the Million. By 

 William Dale, M.D. (London : Francis Hodgson. 

 1884.) — In a country in which the fell disease Phthisis 

 annually claims so many victims as it does in our own. Dr. 

 Dale's pamphlet must possess a painful interest. In it, 

 after an introductory chapter, he successively deals with 

 the causes of consumption, infection and phthisis, and lastly 

 of its treatment. His style is readable and agreeable, and 

 his book may be studied, not without profit, by all who have 

 or imagine they have what is popularly known as "a 

 delicate chest." 



Health Assurance. By Wm. Flemikg Phillips. 

 (London : Wyman & Sons. 1884.) — This little pamphlet 

 developes an idea which strikes us as being an eminently 

 common-sense and feasible one. Put as shortly as possible, 

 it is that the well-to-do classes should pay a certain sum 

 per head, ill or well, annually to their medical attendants, 

 much as is already done in medical clubs by those in a lower 

 rank of life. For the details of Dr. Phillips's scheme we 

 must refer the reader to his pamphlet itself. It only costs 

 sixpence, and will repay perusal. 



The Laundrij Guide, by W. J. Menzies, contains useful 

 recipes for softening water, making laundry soap, ifec. 



We have also before us Naturen, published in Christiania; 

 The Bulletin de I'Agence Gina-ale de I'Electricite, Paris; The 

 Eailtvay Review, Chicago ; Bradstreets, New York ; The 

 Dyer, Calico-Printer, and Colour Trades Revieu; London ; 

 The Tricyclist, London; Ciel el Terre, Brussels; and 

 Society, each addressing its own extensive and influential 

 section of the public. 



The Practical Telegraphist. By W. Lynd, A.S.T.E. 

 (London : Wyman it Sons, 1884.) — This is a work which 

 will doubtless prove useful to those interested in telegraphy. 

 In the main it is a miscellaneous compilation from several 

 reliable authorities. Details are given of the system o£ 

 working and of the principles and construction of several 

 instruments adopted in the Postal Telegraph Service. The 

 volume concludes with interesting, and, we may say, valuable 

 statistics, pourtraying the marvellous development of tele- 

 graphy at home and abroad. The work is got up in a style 

 highly creditable to the publishers. 



Telegraphy. By W. H. Preece, F.R.S., M.I.C.E., and 

 J. Sivewright, M.A., C.M.G. Third Edition. (London: 

 Longmans, Green, &, Co., 1884.) — This work, which is 

 responsible for a very large proportion of the volume pre- 

 viously noticed, occupies the position of being without a 

 rival in its particular sphere. It is, for its size, very com- 

 prehensive, while the language is simple and clear. These 

 reasons, combined with a moderate price, have so far 

 secured for it immunity from competition. The new 

 edition embraces chapters on the telephone, fast repeaters, 

 and quadruplex telegraphy, additions of great value. Not- 

 withstanding one or two little slips, the book is to be 

 highly commended, and will take a lot of beating. 



editorial 6o£{Sip. 



I REGRET to say that Mr. Thomas Foster has been 

 recommended by his medical advisers a transatlantic 

 journey. The promised concluding paper of his series 

 cannot appear this week ; but as he has somewhat wilfully 

 determined to continue his literary work during the 

 journey, it may be expected to appear very shortly, as it 

 will probably be posted for England immediately on his 

 arrival in New York. 



M-«T correspondents ask me if any photographic portrait 

 of my editorial countenance is extant. Messrs. Elliott & 

 Fry have recently requested me to sit for some new photo- 

 graphs. The pictures, which I regard as very satisfactory, 

 are, I believe, now ready for issue. 



One of the letters last week unfortunately escaped cor- 

 rection, and the result is that some rather remarkable new 

 Greek words appear. 



