July 8, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



51 



knowledge of tropical diseases. A discussion 

 followed. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 

 The University of London Commission Bill 

 has passed the second reading in the British 

 House of Commons without a division. 



Cambeidge Univeesity has received a be- 

 quest of £10,000 for the foundation of a scholar- 

 ship or prizes. 



The Wawepex Society has given $200 for a 

 scholarship in biology at the Coldspring Lab- 

 oratory of Biology, to be filled by a graduate 

 student of Columbia University. Mr. F. B. 

 Sumner has received the appointment. 



The chair of botany in the University of 

 Wisconsin, vacant by the removal of Professor 

 Charles R. Barnes to the University of Wiscon- 

 sin, has been filled by the election of Dr. R. A. 

 Harper, of Lake Forest University. 



Dr. Alex. Hill, master of Downing Col- 

 lege and an eminent physiologist, has been 

 re-elected Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge Uni- 

 versity for the ensuing academical year. 



Me. R. Pendlebuey and Mr. A. E. H. Love, 

 F.R.S. , fellows and lecturers in St. John's Col- 

 lege, have been appointed University lecturers 

 in mathematics. 



Peincipal Caird will on August 1st retire 

 from the principalship of Glasgow University. 



Miss Geeteude Halley has been appointed 

 one of the demonstrators in anatomy in Mel- 

 bourne University. 



M. P.-M. Labatut has been given charge 

 of the instruction of physics and chemistry in 

 the medical school of Grenoble. 



SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. 

 La Mcdliematique; philosopMe, enseignement. Par 

 C.-A. Laisant, repetiteur a I'ecole poly- 

 technique, docteur es sciences. Paris, George 

 Carre et C. Naud. 1898. Pp. 292. 

 The above work consists of three parts : the 

 philosophy of pure mathematics, the philosophy 

 of applied mathematics, and the teaching of 

 mathematics. The first part is subdivided into 

 the following chapters : Mathematics and its 



Divisions, Arithmetic and Arithmology, Alge- 

 bra, Infinitesimal Calculus, Theory of Functions, 

 Geometry, Analytical Geometry, Rational Me- 

 chanics. The second part is divided into Gen- 

 eral Considerations, Application of the Calculus, 

 Application of Geometry, Application of Me- 

 chanics, and the third into General View of the 

 Teaching of Mathematics, Teaching of Arith- 

 metic, Teaching of Algebra and the higher 

 Calculus, Teaching of Geometry, Teaching of 

 Analytical Geometry, Teaching of Mechanics, 

 the Hierarchy of Education. 



In an introductory chapter M. Laisant sets 

 forth the aim of the book. He says that he does 

 not write for those who are deeply versed in 

 mathematical science, nor those who are igno- 

 rant of it, but for a middle class, namely, those 

 who are studying mathematics or have studied 

 it and whose knowledge and interest are kept 

 alive by teaching it or by being engaged in 

 work requiring its application. It may be said, 

 however, that whatever is written on the phil- 

 osophy of mathematics by so eminent a master 

 of geometric algebra and distinguished investi- 

 gator of the hyperbolic functions cannot fail to be 

 of interest to the professional mathematician ; 

 and even the mere seeker after culture will find 

 in this volume many things to arouse his interest 

 in the most perfect of all the sciences. 



In traversing the domain above described the 

 author discusses many questions of scientific 

 and educational interest ; in this notice there is 

 only room to mention a few. One of the first 

 points he makes is that it is not correct to speak 

 of the mathematical sciences, as they all aid one 

 another, give mutual support, and in certain 

 parts blend together ; there is but one vast 

 science, wtich no one can flatter himself to mas- 

 ter completely, for its conquests are infinite in 

 nature. 



M. Laisant does not pretend to be a profes- 

 sional philosopher, but he has read the works 

 of Leibnitz, Descartes, Pascal, D' Alembert, Did- 

 erot, Condorcet, Comte, each of whom was a 

 philosopher, and likewise left a brilliant record 

 in mathematical science ; in this volume we 

 have the digested results of his reading and re- 

 flection. Work of the character described is 

 the most valuable kind of philosophy, and very 

 rare in these times, for the saying of Leibnitz 



