542 Scientific Intelligence. 



ing was important. One of his pupils was Benjamin Silliman, 

 the founder of this Journal, who spent two periods of study 

 with him in 1802 to 1804. Another was Eobert Hare, the inven- 

 tor of the compound blowpipe. 



Dr. Smith has rendered a valuable service to American chem- 

 ical history by publishing this attractive book. h. l. w. 



3. Laboratory Manual; by Arthur A. Blanchard and 

 Frank B. Wade. Loose-leaf notebook, 95 sheets. New York, 

 1917 (American Book Company) . — This manual has been devised 

 to accompany " "Foundations of Chemistry" by the same 

 authors. Each of the sheets is devoted to a single experiment 

 or to a series of closely connected ones. In each case the equip- 

 ment required and the purpose of the experiment are mentioned, 

 then full directions for the work are given, pertinent questions 

 in regard to the results are asked, and space is provided for the 

 students' notes. The course of work appears to be very well 

 selected and presented for the purposes of beginners in elemen- 

 tary laboratory work in chemistry. h. l. w. 



4. Lessons in Astronomy, Revised Edition; by Charles A. 

 Young. Pp. ix, 420; 118 figures. Boston, 1918 (Ginn & Co.).— 

 This excellent text first appeared in 1891 and it was thoroughly 

 revised by its author twelve years later. Accordingly it does 

 not seem necessary to give, at the present time, a detailed 

 account of the scope and salient features of this deservedly 

 popular book. The preface to the issue of 1918, which is signed 

 by Anne Sewell Young, consists of the following single, explana- 

 tory sentence : ■ ' While the greater part of the text remains as it 

 was written by its author, such changes have been made in this 

 issue as are necessary to bring it down to date. ' ' h. s. u. 



5. The Origin of our Planetary System; by Eugene Miller. 

 Pp. 90. Topeka, 1918 (Crane & Co.).— This little book con- 

 tains a non-mathematical and supposedly new explanation of the 

 genesis and development of the solar system. The author first 

 sets forth twelve requirements which must be fulfilled by any 

 rational account of the early history of this system and then 

 proceeds with the solution of each problem. A few typical 

 examples of the facts to be accounted for are: the planets 

 revolve around the sun in approximately the same plane, all 

 the known planets revolve in the same direction, the planets 

 between Jupiter and the sun are relatively small whereas those 

 beyond are very large, the planets interior to Jupiter have 

 high specific gravities while the outside planets have low specific 

 gravities, etc. 



The fundamental hypothesis is that the sun and Jupiter 

 originally constituted a double star. Gravitational, centrifugal, 

 cohesional, and other forces caused Jupiter to assume an ovoid 

 shape with the blunt end turned away from the sun. Tidal 

 oscillations and reactional vibrations subsequently forced 



