June 8, 1888.] 



SCIENCE. 



275 



principles, presented in a manner far inferior to the best modern 

 examples, and insufferably dull. Even in the matter of information 

 it is not up with the times. We are told that "the two prevailing 

 opinions with regard to the nature of heat are the theory of emis- 

 sion and the theory of undulation ; the latter of which, it is added, 

 is now generally accepted, but so overburdened with inherited 

 terms of indefinite meaning as to occasion much confusion of mind, 

 and to necessitate the admission to the student seeking exactness, 

 that all who study the subject are impressed with their vagueness 

 and unsatisfactoriness. After this we could hardly be surprised to 

 note that the atomic hypothesis is an invention of the "late Dr. 

 Dalton," who derived some suggestion of it from the ancient phi- 

 losophers, by which term, we presume, reference is made to the late 

 Lucretius, Leukippos, and others. 



The latter half of the book, however, is so much worse, from an 

 educational point of view, that we are inclined, on the whole, to ad- 

 mire the astuteness which led to a change of base and the filhng-in 

 of the former half with less unwieldy material, though the proceed- 

 ing is somewhat suggestive of the tricks of the medical practitioner 

 of tradition, who, failing in the diagnosis and treatment of existing 

 complaints, possessed the art and acuteness to get his patient into 

 fits, in the management of which he considered himself to be an 

 adept. As in most books on elementary chemistry, we find descrip- 

 tive text, directions for experiment, and problems to be solved ; but 

 the scientific method — the careful and logical adjustment of ex- 

 perimental conditions to the end of securing conclusions as definite 

 as possible — is lacking. We are told that the elements combine 

 to form compounds, and the fact is illustrated by the burning of 

 phosphorus in oxygen, and other similar experiments ; but not a 

 particle of evidence, beyond mere assertion, is adduced to show 

 that the action is synthetical rather than metathetical or analytical. 

 The union of two elements in more than one proportion is not proved 

 by appeal to the evidence of the balance, to the value of which the 

 author has paid tribute in connection with the elucidation of the prin- 

 ciples of its mechanism ; but, instead, we are treated to the follow- 

 ing : " We have now to inform and demonstrate to the learner that 

 more than one compound can be formed, in many cases, by the union 

 of the same elements. This will at once be rendered easily intelligible 

 to him if we make use of our former comparison. There are differ- 

 ent words composed of the same letters ; there are, for instance, two 

 different words composed of the letters / and o, viz., ' to ' and 

 ' too ; ' the same with the letters b and e, viz., ' be ' and ' bee ; ' and 

 other examples will at once recur to the student. In like manner, 

 for example, there are two compounds of carbon and oxygen : viz., 

 carbon monoxide, the symbol for which is CO ; and carbon dioxide, 

 which, for the present, we will represent by the symbol COO. This 

 latter compound, it will be seen from the symbol, contains double 

 the quantity of oxygen the former contains." This is puerile ; but 

 the pendulum swings to the other extreme, and the student, not 

 yet informed as to the laws of combining proportions, the qualities 

 or constitution of acids, bases, or salts, is expected to extract an 

 intelligent idea from descriptions like the following, which, if not 

 taken bodily from " Gmelin's great work of reference," might easily 

 have been so derived, so far as form of statement and assumption 

 of previous knowledge are concerned : — 



" The bones being freed from organic matter, and in form of ash, 

 are treated with sufficient sulphuric acid to form an acid phos- 

 phate ; — 



Ca3(P0,), +2H2SO1 =CaH(P0i)2 + 2CaS0j. 

 The solution of the acid phosphate is poured off from the insol- 

 uble CaS04 ; the solution is evaporated to a sirupy consistence ; it is 

 then mixed with a sufficient amount of charcoal, evaporated to 

 dryness, and afterward gradually heated to full redness in an appro- 

 priate vessel. Two-thirds of the 'phosphorus distils over, and is 

 condensed by the water contained in the receiving-vessel. The 

 operation may be regarded as consisting of two stages : ist, the 

 conversion of the acid phosphate ; 2d, the setting-free of the phos- 

 phorus ; — 



(1) CaH.j (POj)^ = Ca 2 PO, -|- 2 H^O. 



(2) 3 (Ca 2 PO3) 4- 10 C = P.J -1- Ca^ (P04)2 + 10 CO." 

 These examples are sufficient to show the spirit of the book, 



which is lacking in those qualities of method which have lately 

 begun to appear in elementary chemical literature, and give prom- 



ise of the evolution of something more in accord with advanced 

 ideas in matters of education. In our humble judgment, this vol- 

 ume is entirely unsuited to the needs of the modern classroom or 

 laboratory. 



A Companion to School Classics. By jAMES Gow. New York^ 

 Macmillan. 16°. $1.75. 



Chronological Tables. By Arthur C. JENNINGS. New York,. 

 Macmillan. 12". $1.25. 



The first of these books treats a variety of subjects that stu- 

 dents of the classics need to know about, and which cannot be ad- 

 equately dealt with in the ordinary commentaries. It is divided 

 into five parts, treating respectively of classical texts, the public 

 economy of the Greeks and Romans, the drama, and philosophy. 

 Mythology and geography are not included, doubtless because there 

 are works enough on these subjects already. The Homeric age 

 also is left untouched, on the ground that it is sufficiently illustrated 

 in Professor Jebb's work, and others devoted to that special theme. 



The second and third divisions of the work, which deal with pub- 

 lic affairs, are the longest, and give an excellent brief description of 

 the Athenian. Spartan, and Roman constitutions, with accounts of 

 the public assemblies and of the various officers of state and their 

 duties. The military and naval establishments are also described,, 

 and there are chapters on finance, on chronology, and on weights, 

 and measures. In these parts of his work Mr. Gow has presented 

 a vast amount of information in a small compass ; yet it is so welli 

 arranged and so clearly stated, that, notwithstanding its condensa- 

 tion, it is read with ease and pleasure. Indeed, we do not know 

 where to look for so good an account of Athenian and Roman pub- 

 lic affairs, in a form at once clear, concise, and full enough for ordi- 

 nary students, as Mr. Gow has here given us. 



The other parts of the work are of a more scholastic character,, 

 especially the first, which gives a brief history of classical texts. 

 First comes a history of the Greek and Latin alphabets; next a de- 

 scription of the mode of writing and of making books in ancient 

 times, followed by a history of classical manuscripts in the middle 

 ages and after the revival of learning ; and then a full account of 

 the means and methods of textual criticism. The chapters devoted' 

 to these subjects are necessarily somewhat dry ; but the informa- 

 tion they contain will be useful not only to young students, but to- 

 all persons interested in the history of literature. The accounts of 

 the drama and philosophy are briefer than the other portions of the 

 work, but are sufficient for the ordinary purposes of classical stu- 

 dents. 



From the analysis here given it will be apparent that Mr. Gow's 

 work is different from the other helps to classical study that are 

 now so abundant ; and it contains so much that is excellent, that 

 we hope to see it introduced into the schools of this country. Of 

 course, in a work dealing with so many subjects, and necessarily 

 touching many controverted points, it is difficult to secure un- 

 impeachable accuracy ; and we can well believe the author when. 

 he says that he has found the preparation of the work extremely^ 

 difficult. Nevertheless, its accuracy, so far as we have been able 

 to test it, is of a high order ; while in style and arrangement it is. 

 much superior to most of the works with which it is naturally com- 

 pared. 



Mr. Jennings's work is a synchronistic arrangement of the chief 

 events of ancient history, and will be a useful companion to all stu- 

 dents of the ancient world. It is not confined to Greek and Ro- 

 man affairs, though these necessarily occupy the foremost place,, 

 but gives also the dates of the leading events in Jewish, Egyptian,, 

 and Assyrian history, and of some specially important occurrences, 

 in India and China. The tables are arranged in six columns, deal- 

 ing respectively with political history ; Jewish church history ; 

 wars, popular movements, catastrophes ; biography and topogra- 

 phy ; inventions, discoveries, science, art ; laws, literature, drama,, 

 institutions. The chronology ranges from the received date of the 

 foundation of Rome, 753 B.C., down to the Christian era. In re- 

 gard to very many facts of ancient history, exactness of date, as the 

 author remarks, is unattainable ; and he has thought it best to ad- 

 here in the main to the schemes of chronology usually found in dic- 

 tionaries of dates, and other educational works. The special excel- 

 lence of .the work lies, of course, in its parallel presentation of. 



