440 
quite old. His novel proposition is that, 
given a better environment, the most in- 
ferior race may become superior to all 
others. ‘‘ That which we are to-day, others 
may be to-morrow.” He also claims that 
arace long resident ina given Miliew be- 
comes best suited to it, and, granted equal 
facilities, is sure to surpass all other races 
there. He quotes the native population of 
Mexico in illustration. Conquered by 
Cortes, beaten into the dust by brutal 
European rule, it has seized the arms of its 
conquerors, and now is rising in its might 
above its ancient invaders. ‘Is it an illu- 
sion,’ he asks, ‘‘ that reveals to us in the 
physiognomy of the Yankee the hard, bony 
face of the Red Skin ?”’ 
PRINCIPLES OF THE STUDY OF MYTHOLOGY. 
In a recent number of the monthly 
journal Nord und Sud, Dr. Thomas Achelis 
has a suggestive article on the relations of 
mythology to ethnography. He advocates 
and illustrates the principle now constantly 
gaining ground among advanced anthro- 
pologists, that if we learn accurately the 
daily life of primitive peoples, understand 
the impressions they receive from their en- 
vironment and the mental impulses they 
gain from language and the interchange of 
ideas, then psychology is prepared to ex- 
plain their religious perceptions according 
to definite and fixed principles. Similari- 
ties or identities between remote tribes will 
no more call for the theory of unity of source 
than the mere similarity of the sound of 
words would justify the etymologist in 
adopting the same theory for its explanation. 
In all of his writings Dr. Achelis has 
pursued this same line of thought, and, 
although this has not recommended him to 
those of his reviewers who adhere to a more 
antiquated philosophy, there can be no 
question but his is the ‘ party of the future.’ 
D. G. Brryton. 
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
SCIEN CE. 
[N. 8. Vou. VI. No. 142. 
NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 
THE seventh article of the series by 
Alfred Werner in the Zeitschrift fiir anorgan- 
ische Chemie, on the constitution of inorganic 
compounds, describes molecular weight de- 
terminations of a large number of salts in 
organic solvents, such as piperidin, pyridin, 
methyl sulfid, ete. In the case of many 
salts regarding which there has been con- 
siderable doubt, the results were in accord 
with the monomolecular formula, as A1Cl,, 
FeCl,, FeCl,; also CoCl,, CoBr,. Tin (stan- 
nous) and lead salts were also found to be 
monomolecular. Cuprous salts were in 
general normal (CuCl, Cul, ete.), but. 
showed considerable tendency to polymerize 
by doubling. Cuprous cyanid appeared only 
in dimolecular form, Cu,(CN),. The silver 
halogen salts showed a strong tendency to 
polymerization, the iodid having a molec- 
ular weight corresponding to (AgI),, while 
the chlorid (and bromid) were between 
(AgCl), and (AgCl),. Silver nitrate, how- 
ever, had the normal formula AgNO,. Pro- 
fessor Werner is of the opinion that in the 
polymerized molecule the metal atoms are 
not united together, but that the union is. 
between metal and non-metal, as 
It would seem possible, however, that the 
union might subsist through the medium of 
the non-metallic atoms, which would ac- 
count for the greater tendency to polymeri- 
zation on the part of the cyanids. 
Bortc acid has a quite extended use as a 
food preservative, but the data as to its 
effect on health are very meagre. R. A. 
Cripps, in the Analyst for July, recounts a 
series of experiments on the action of boric 
acid on the digestive ferments. His results 
are the following: With malt-extract in 
presence of 0.01% to 1% boric acid, starch 
was dissolved completely in 12 minutes, not. 
