﻿Notices respecting New Books. 305 



written with this design, there are scarcely any that we can recom- 

 mend as a school-book. Too often devoted to the exposition of the 

 fancies or whims % of the hour, or to a wonderful confusion of the 

 creeds of independent apostles, most of our manuals of chemistry 

 are like copies of some manuscript legend in which the original 

 sentences have been repeatedly misplaced and rendered almost un- 

 intelligible by the intervening conjectures of successive readers. Is 

 this the romance of nature ? So much censure certainly does not 

 attach to the current physical manuals ; but they are almost all far 

 above a boy's level, and in a form unavailable for a teacher. 



Bearing these considerations in mind, we shall better be able to 

 understand the great merit of Mr. Barff's little book. His object 

 has been to write for boys an Introduction to Chemistry which, 

 while never rising above a matriculation standard, can condescend 

 to touch on many of the minor and petty difficulties which such pu- 

 pils always feel. Confining himself exclusively to this humble 

 region, and using throughout the personal address of a teacher, he 

 is able to enforce the matter of instruction with largely increased 

 effect. His work is, moreover, characterized by extreme simplicity 

 both in style and plan. The reader will not find anywhere in Part I. 

 (206 pages) a single symbol, formula, or reference to the atomic 

 theory. Even in Part II. (where these matters are considered) only 

 the most direct and intelligible methods of interpretation are cau- 

 tiously employed, it being the author's conviction that " young 

 minds are often apt to espouse warmly views of a certain school, and 

 to regard as facts what are nothing more than assumptions." 

 Throughout the first part of the work the combining proportions 

 (and minimum weights generally) are given in non-symbolic num- 

 bers and quite dogmatically ; and it is not until a large amount of 

 exercise in calculation has been traversed that the student is allowed 

 to formulate anything whatever. Another excellent feature is the 

 set of questions which occurs at the end of each chapter, and the 

 collection of actual matriculation problems at the close of Part II. : 

 many of these are worked out as examples. The "advice to stu- 

 dents under examination " is also excellent. 



We shall not, of course, be supposed to intimate that this book is 

 free from defects. It is quite impossible that an effort of the kind, 

 unique as it is, should have been unattended with some taint of the 

 sins of modern chemistry. There is, however, quite enough in the 

 manual to console us for such blemishes and aid us to forget them. 

 Mr. Barff's ' Introduction' will be of the greatest value to schools, 

 and is a most serviceable contribution to chemical literature. The 

 modesty and simplicity of its purpose, its freedom from theoretical 

 partialities, and (what is not unimportant) its moderate price will 

 ensure it a deserved and hearty commendation. 



Phil. Mag. S. 4. Vol. 37. No. 249. April 1869. 





