February 15, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



125 



etc., can readily be traced. In the same way references have 

 been inserted in the grammatical analyses at the head of each 

 chapter. 



Typographically the present edition is a great improvement on 

 the old. The pages are much more open and pleasing to the eye ; 

 section-headings have been used, and the paradigms have been 

 printed in large full-faced type; important words in the examples 

 are distinguished by the use of black type, and the size of the 

 note type has been reduced, so that there is more difference to the 

 eye than formerly between the text and the notes. The index of 

 words and subjects is enlarged and revised, a separate index of 

 verbs has been added, the glossary of terms has received additions, 

 and the list of authors has been divided into periods. The list of 

 important rules of syntax has been made more complete, and fur- 

 nished with references to the body of the book, and in its present 

 form will furnish pupils with a convenient and accurate summary. 

 With a few exceptions at the beginning of the book, the section- 

 numbers of the new edition correspond with those of the old, so 

 that references to either are good for the other. 



A Text-Book of General As/roiwtny. By CHARLES A. YoUNG. 

 Boston and London, Ginn & Co. 8'^. $2,40. 



The present work is designed as a text-book of astronomy 

 suited to the general course in our colleges and schools of science, 

 and is meant to supply that amount of information upon the sub- 

 ject which may fairly be expected of every liberally educated person. 

 Therefore it contains no proofs of astronomical theorems, except 

 such deductions as can be explained by the use of elementary 

 algebra, geometry, and trigonometry ; its aim being to give a clear, 

 accurate, and justly proportioned presentation of astronomical facts, 

 principles, and methods in such a form that they can be easily ap- 

 prehended by the average college student. 



The author has fully accomplished his object, and his work is 

 excellently adapted to the purposes of teacher and student, the 

 matter being arranged systematically, and presented clearly. A 

 great number of carefully selected illustrations enhance the value 

 of the book and add to its clearness. After a brief introduction, 

 in which the more important definitions are given, the author de- 

 scribes the principal astronomical instruments, the methods of 

 observation, and the corrections of astronomical observations. After 

 the discussion of a few problems of practical astronomy, such as 

 determination of latitude and longitude, the dimensions and shape 

 of the earth and the methods of its determination are described. 

 After explaining the phenomena of the earth's orbital motion, the 

 author proceeds to a description of the movements and physical 

 character of the moon and sun. A special chapter is devoted to 

 eclipses. It is only after the description of these movements that 

 the author takes up the forces causing these motions. He dis- 

 cusses the law of gravitation and the important " Problem of 

 Three Bodies," giving a very clear definition of perturbations. 

 Then the planets are described. Before considering the fixed stars- 

 comets and meteors, and the numerous unexplained phenomena 

 and processes observed in these bodies, are treated in a compre- 

 hensive chapter. The book concludes with a discussion of the 

 nebular hypothesis. This brief synopsis shows that the book is 

 thoroughly methodical in its arrangement, and will therefore prove 

 very useful for teachers and students. 



The Aitslralian Ballot System. By JOHN H. WiGMORE. Bos- 

 ton, Charles C. Soule. 8". $1. 



The object of this work is to describe the method of voting de- 

 vised by Francis S. Button of South Australia, which seems likely 

 to be adopted wherever representative institutions prevail. It has 

 been practised in Australia for thirty years, and was adopted in 

 England in 1872, and soon afterwards in Canada and Belgium. 

 Last year it became the law in Massachusetts ; and bills embody- 

 ing its provisions have been introduced into the legislatures of New 

 York and many other American States. Its essential characteris- 

 tics are now pretty generally known. The names of all the can- 

 didates for a particular office are printed on the same slip of paper, 

 and the voter marks a cross ( x ) against the name of the person he 

 wishes to vote for. The ballots are printed at public expense, and 

 distributed by public officers. The voter is required to mark his 



ballot privately, so that absolute secrecy is secured. The object, 

 and the effect wherever the system has been tried, is to put an end 

 to bribery and intimidation. It being impossible to ascertain how 

 a man votes, you cannot bribe or coerce him to vote as you wish, 

 Mr. Wigmore here gives us a brief history of the system since its 

 origination in Australia, with the arguments in its favor, and then 

 presents in full the statute of Massachusetts, with the essential 

 portions of the South Australian, the English, and several others. 

 He gives also a specimen ballot according to the Massachusetts 

 law, and also a full description, with illustrative cuts, of the mode 

 of voting. Altogether his book contains the most complete and 

 accurate account of the system we have anywhere met with, and 

 may be cordially commended to all interested in political reform. 



(i) Die Rolle der Suggestion bei gewissen erscheinungen der 

 Hysteric und des Hypiioiisiiuis : Kritisches und expcriinen- 

 telles. Von Dr. Armand HuECKEL. Jena, 1888. 



(2) Ueber hyptwtische Sicggestio?ien, der en Wesen, deren Kliniscke 

 und Strafrechtliche Bedeuittng. Von JOH. G. SaLLIS. Berlin, 

 1888. 



(3) Der Hypnoiismiis und seine Strafrechtliche Bedeutung. \'on 



Dr. August Forel. Berlin and Leipzig, 1888. 



(4) Eine experimentelle Stttdie atif dem Gebiete des Hypnotismits^ 



Von Dr. R. v. Krafft-Ebbing. Stuttgart, 1888. 



(5) Ein Beit rag siir Therapeiitischen Verwerthicng des Hypno- 

 tismiis. Von Albert, Freiherrn v. Schrenck-Notzing, 

 Leipzig, 1888. 



(6) Ueber Hypnotismiis. "\'on Dr. Hering. Berlin, 1888. 



f7) Hypnotismiis und Willensfreiheit. Von F. MiESCHER, 

 1888. 



(8) Der Hypnotismiis in der Paedagogik von einem ScJiulmannc, 



und mit einem Vorwort. Von JOH. G. Sallis. Berlin, 1888. 



(9) Hypnotismus und Wunder ; ein vortrag mit Weiteriingen. 



^'on Max Steigenberger, Domprediger. Augsburg, 

 1888. 



The science of modern hypnotism is distinctly of French origin. 

 The greatest of charlatans in this field, who disturbed the peace of 

 so many credulous souls, won his fame and fortune in Paris ; and 

 it was in Paris that the successful steps were taken to atone for this 

 injury by bringing these curious and startling phenomena into sci- 

 entific repute. The movement, once started, grew rapidly, — in- 

 deed, with an almost morbid rapidity, — and within the last year 

 or two the phenomena announced as demonstrated among the 

 highly sensitive and very plentiful subjects of Paris seem marvel- 

 lous, and threaten to overturn or vastly extend the tenets of science. 

 Among much that is strange, much that is new, much that is false^ 

 and much that is true, it is difficult to know what to credit, and 

 what to reject. 



As has happened often before, the lookers-on are better judges 

 than the players, and the Germans have assumed the attitude of 

 critics. Not as liable as their enthusiastic neighbors to lose self- 

 control in the whirl of interest, they have been calmly sifting the 

 evidence, and assimilating the new to the old, rather than magni- 

 fying the novel into the mysterious. For this reason a review of 

 recent German works upon hypnotism — of which those mentioned- 

 above form a typical selection, though only a selection in this rap- 

 idly increasing literature — may be of service in acquainting an- 

 American public with the true aspect of hypnotic research. 



Dr. Hiickel's pamphlet (l) is doubtless the most important on 

 this list, and deals with the central point of discussion, — the issue 

 between the school of Paris, headed by Charcot, and the school of 

 Nancy, of which Dr. Bernheim may be declared the leader. The 

 former hold that the hypnotic condition is induced by physical 

 causes, such as passes, pressures, etc. ; that there are three stages 

 of hypnosis well differentiated, the passage from one to the other 

 being accomplished by physical manipulations (closure or opening- 

 of the eyelids, pressure upon the vertex 1 ; that the phenomena as- 

 sume their most typical form, and should be studied in hysterical 

 patients ; that the magnet has a distinct physical effect upon sensi- 



