September 22, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



73 



general knowledge of the elements of physical 

 chemistry. 



It is an unfortunate beginner into whose 

 innocent hands such a book is placed, and this 

 leads to a few words in reference to this phase 

 of the subject of teaching science. It is a 

 fair question to ask whether the error is not 

 frequently made by over-zealous teachers, of 

 placing works that are too advanced in the 

 hands of their pupils. The reviewer recalls 

 having heard a teacher of organic chemistry 

 announce rather boastfully that his class of 

 beginners in organic chemistry was given 

 Richter's book, and made to master its entire 

 contents, i. e., master it from, the standpoint 

 of examination. 



This was only a little more unfortunate 

 than the placing of Ostwald's inorganic chem- 

 istry in the possession of those who were just 

 beginning the study of general chemistry. 

 The result in both cases would be the same, 

 of course, inevitable failure. 



A similar result would be secured by begin- 

 ning the study of physical chemistry with the 

 hook under review. 



A few words must be added in reference to 

 the English translation. The translation of 

 the first edition of this book into English, as 

 is well-known, left much to be desired. It is 

 not too much to say that it was inadequate 

 and unsatisfactory. It was with some feeling 

 of relief that the new translation was greeted. 

 It seemed that this admirable book would now 

 be rendered into satisfactory English. It is 

 deeply to be regretted that the examination of 

 the translation showed that it did not fulfil 

 this expectation. The translator states in his 

 own preface that ' The bulk of the old text, 

 however, remains as it was.' This is most dis- 

 appointing. 



If we examine the translation page by page, 

 we shall find so many glaring violations of 

 good, clear, idiomatic English that we soon 

 hecome disheartened. These reasons alone 

 lead us to advise those . who would work 

 through the book to use the original German; 

 and this raises the further question, whether it 

 is even desirable to translate such an advanced 

 work from the German into English? Any 

 one who can use this book with profit can. 



or at least should be able to read German 

 with ease. Is it not catering to a wrong 

 principle to make such a work accessible to 

 those who must master German, if they would 

 follow scientific thought to any depth, to say 

 nothing of making contributions to scientific 

 knowledge? Every one will answer this ques- 

 tion for himself. 



In criticizing the translation adversely, it 

 must, however, not be forgotten that to secure 

 even this result involved an enormous amoiuit 

 of drudgery on the part of the translator, 

 which will be appreciated by every one who 

 has translated even a small book. 



Harry C. Jones. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 



The contents of The American Journal of 

 Anatomy for September are as follows: 



Franki-IN p. Mall : ' On the Angle of the 

 Elbow.' 



E. LiNDON Mellus : ' A Study of the Location 

 and Arrangement of the Giant Cells in the Cortex 

 of the Right Hemisphere of the Bonnet Monkey 

 {Macacus Sinicus) .' 



Susanna Phelps Gage: 'A Three Weeks' Hu- 

 man Embryo, with Especial Eeference to the 

 Brain and the Nephric System.' 



William Snow Miller : ' The Blood and Lymph 

 Vessels of the Lung of Necturus maculatus.' 



Frank A. Stromsten : ' A Contribution to the 

 Anatomy and Development of the Venous System 

 of Chelonia.' 



The Journal of Nervous and Mental Dis- 

 eases for August opens with a study of clinical 

 and post-mortem records bearing on the opera- 

 bility of brain tumors and their symptoma- 

 tology, by Drs. G. L. Walton and W. E. Paul. 

 Following this. Dr. S. D. Ludlum reports an 

 experimental study on the regeneration of the 

 peripheral nerves ; and the presidential address 

 delivered by Dr. Spiller before the American 

 Neurological Association, on the importance 

 in clinical diagnosis of paralysis of asso- 

 ciated movements of the eyeballs, especially 

 of upward ■ and downward movements, is 

 concluded in this number. It is extensively 

 illustrated and elucidated by tables. The 

 leading article in the September issue is by 



