278 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No. 537 



to the fact that the succeeding chapters are sprinkled with far 

 too many misstatements and that the whole book is marred by a 

 loose and slovenly style. We do not wish to imply that the 

 book does not contain many valuable and interesting facts, but 

 the general lack of precision of statement is painfully evident in 

 a passage like this: " It has been hitherto [sic] held that putre- 

 faction was a chemical action only, but recent researches have 

 shown that numberless microbes are concerned in the process, 

 and without these micro- organisms organic bodies retain their 

 form " (p. 69). 



Debatable questions are dismissed in a rather summary fashion, 

 6. g., " There can be no doubt whatever that sewer gas may pro- 

 duce sore throat, diarrhoea, and typhoid fever. ..." (p. 65). 

 "the germs of disease may be easily carried into the air from 

 refuse and fsecal accumulations " (p. 75). 



As for the style, "Koch demonstrated the presence of cholera 

 bacilli in the water of Indian ponds or tanks, probably harboring 

 and multiplying in the banks" (p. 76.). " However urgent those 

 specially familiar with the deteriorating influences at work may 

 regard the remedies applicable, yet they can never secure their 

 adoption without the consensus of the opinions of others" 

 (p. 355). 



The author in a measure, however, disarms criticism by his 

 unimpeachable statement in the conclusion (p. 344), "Errors of 

 omission and of commission may be readily found in all human 

 work ..." 



Report on the Brown Coal and Lignite of Texas. By E. T. Bum- 

 ble, State Geologist. Austin. 1893. 343 p. Plates. 8°. 

 This volume is one of the numerous ones that have recently 

 appeared on the work of the survey. It contains a very full ac- 

 count of the origin, formation, and composition of the Brown 



coal and of its use as fuel. Many details are given of the geology 

 of these deposits in Texas, and comparisons are made between 

 these and the European lignites. A strong ai-gument is made 

 for the use of the Brown coals in Texas, and the results of the 

 investigations made by the author in Europe and in Texas may 

 be summed up about as follows: — 



Brown coal and lignite of good quality are capable of replacing 

 bituminous coal for all household, industrial, and metallurgical 

 processes. 



Texas has an abundant supply which is so situated as to permit 

 its being mired and delivered for use at a far less cost than 

 bituminous coal. 



The raw coal can be used in stoves and grates, under loco- 

 motive boilers, in iron smelting, lime burning, etc. It may be 

 used for the manufacture of gas for lighting or heating. It can 

 be made into artificial fuel by " briquetting " with coal-tar, 

 pitch, etc., and then used like ordinary coal. Certain varieties, 

 if charred, will form a coke with coking coal and coal-tar pitch, 

 which can be used for locomotive engines and other similar pur- 

 poses. 



These facts are of great importance to a country like Texas, 

 where wood is practically absent, and where the ordinary soft 

 coals and anthracite are nearly unknown. There seems no 

 reason why similar deposits of lignite in other States west of the 

 Mississippi River should not be utilized. Joseph F. James. 



Manual of Machine Drawing and Design. By D. A. Low and 



A. W. Bevis. London and New York, Longmans, Green & 



Co. 1893. VI. 375 p. 8°. $3.50. 



This excellent work is designed for the use of engineers and 



their apprentices, and for students in technical schools, and is 



admirably adapted to its purpose. It is more a drawing-room 



CALENDAR OF SOCIETIES. 



Anthropological Society, Washington. 



May 16. — Annual address by the presi- 

 dent of the society. Dr. James C. Welling, 

 The Last Town Election in Pompeii: An 

 Archaeological Study of Roman Municipal 

 Government based on Pompeian Wall In- 

 scriptions. 



Society of Natural History, Boston. 



May 17. — Clarence J. Blake, Out of Dark- 

 ness into Light; or. The Education of a 

 Blind Deaf-Mute. Mr. Anagnos kindly con- 

 sented to allow Miss Thajer of the Kinder- 

 garten for the Blind, and her pupil, Willie 

 Robin, to Be present. 



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FOSSIL RESINS. 



This book is the result of an attempt to 

 collect the scattered notices of fossil resius, 

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By CLARENCE LOWN and HENRY BOOTH 

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This contains a discussion of the reasons 

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Reading Matter Notices. 



Kipans Tabules : best liver tonic. 

 Ripans Tabules cure jaundice. 



The Rose Polytechkic Institute, an advertise- 

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INDEX 



TO VOLUME XVIII OF 



SCIENCE 



is in preparation, and will be 

 issued at an early date. 



