302 
scientific principles which are the recognized 
foundation of their professional work and the 
basis of professional success. ‘The work is that 
which has brought Germany up from insignifi- 
cance, industrially, and made her one of the 
world’s most important producers, placing her 
people in the foremost rank in all applied sci- 
ences and in allarts based upon science. Their 
opportunities are greater than those of their 
German colleagues; they recognize the facts 
and are evidently seeking to make the most of 
them. The record is rich in instructive and 
suggestive matter. 
The earlier pages of the volume are given to 
the lists of officers, council, committees and 
members. The last number already—the So- 
ciety was organized at the World’s Congress at 
Chicago in 1893—nearly 300, of whom New 
York and Massachusetts claim 29 each; Ohio, 
20; Pennsylvania, 18 ; Indiana and Illinois, each 
15 ; Michigan, 13; Minnesota, 12, and other 
States smaller numbers; 36 States being repre- 
sented, one Territory, and also Canada, Eng- 
land, France, Germany, Switzerland and Aus- 
tralia, mainly single representatives, although 
Canada has six. Any one occupying, or who 
has occupied, a position as a teacher in any 
branch of work in the engineering school or 
college is eligible to membership. The con- 
ventions occur annually and usually in conjunc- 
tion, as to time and place, with the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science- 
The finances of the Society seem to be in ad- 
mirable shape. 
The proceedings for the year 1900 include an 
address by the President on the work of the 
nineteenth century in this field, the report of the 
committee appointed to answer the question, re- 
garding industrial education generally : ‘ What 
shall it be?’ an abstract of which has already 
been given in these columns, and a total of 
about twenty papers and reports of committees 
of a most valuable and interesting character. 
Those on the form of the industrial educational 
system, on ‘Personality in Teaching’ and on 
‘Business Methods in Teaching Engineering,’ 
gave rise to earnest and helpful discussions of, 
very general interest; as did, also, the two 
papers, coupled together, on the ‘Present 
Status and Tendencies of Engineering Educa- 
SCIENCE. 
(N.S. Von. XIII. No. 321. 
tion in the United States’ and on ‘The Promo- 
tion of Engineering Education.’ The last two 
papers on the list, one on ‘The Modern Me- 
chanical Laboratory,’ presented simultaneously, 
also, to the Paris Congress on Applied Me- 
chanics, and the other on ‘ Operating Work as 
a Feature of Electrical Laboratory Training,’ 
were received too late for discussion. 
Of these papers, the report first alluded to 
above, already noticed in these columns, is here 
printed, with a discussion of great extent and ex- 
ceeding interest and in some respects perhaps 
more valuable than the report which provoked 
it. The report of the committee is strongly 
endorsed, and the speakers, including some of 
the ablest in the field, present a great variety 
of new views and of crucial problems such as 
must long afford food for thought to all inter- 
ested in this subject. And what intelligent citi- 
zen is not thus interested? Heads of engineer- 
ing and technical schools, practitioners, famed 
and expert, teachers, distinguished and likely 
to become distinguished, and every department 
of technical instruction and practise give testi- 
mony. The paper on ‘Secondnry Technical 
Education’ and those on details of work may 
be taken to be extensions of this discussion ; 
and most helpful they are likely to prove to all 
who are either directly or indirectly concerned 
in this most important to the industrial com- 
munity of all modern departments of applied 
science. 
R. H. THURSTON. 
Kant?s Cosmogony. Edited and Translated by 
W. Hasriz, D.D., Professor of Divinity in 
the University of Glasgow. New York, The 
Maemillan Co. 1900. Cr. 8vo. Pp. cix 
+205. Price, $1.90. 
This is an excellent bit of work, not only ad- 
mirable in the scholarship and learning that go 
to its execution, but noteworthy in its timeli- 
ness as a contribution to English ‘ Kant philol- 
ogy.’ So far as the editor is concerned, the 
book means that the days of heat and partisan- 
ship about the critical philosophy are past, that 
a man dare call attention to Kant’s place in 
scientific evolution and yet keep a whole skin. 
No doubt there are those who will squirm un- 
comfortably when they read; Kant’s ‘ Natural 
