316 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII., No. 165 



MINOR BOOK NOTICES. 



Climatology and mineral waters of the United States. By 

 A. N. Bell. New York, Wood, 1885. 8°. 



This is a work intended especially to present 

 ascertained facts so as to render them available 

 for the promotion of health. In addition to a full 

 and readable discussion of the different meteoro- 

 logical agencies and factors, the author deals with 

 the climatological topography of the different 

 regions of the United States, with weather re- 

 views, and descriptions of the different medicinal 

 waters. To the invalid the work will have its 

 greatest, and we believe a real, value ; but to all 

 who are interested in the influences of climate 

 upon health, or even in general meteorology, it 

 will be found very useful. The author arrives at 

 the conclusion that no country in the world pos- 

 sesses a greater variety of climate or climates 

 with a higher degree of salubrity than the United 

 States. 



Statics and dynamics for engineering students. By Irving 

 P. Church. New York, Wiley, 1886. 8°. 



This book, so far as one can judge from the con- 

 tents, since there is no preface, is intended for use 

 as an elementary text-book in theoretical mechan- 

 ics by students who are to get elsewhere a good 

 deal of practice in solving problems, and some 

 additional instruction. The text is, on the whole, 

 very clearly written, the diagrams are excellent, 

 and the illustrative examples cannot fail to in- 

 terest the reader as well as to instruct him. The 

 use of the phrase ' square second ' instead of ' per 

 second per second,' in such expressions as " an ac- 

 celeration equal to 32.2 feet per square second, 

 will probably be new to most engineers. The few 

 typographical errors which we have noticed in 

 text and formulas are not misleading, although the 

 insertion of the few words which have evidently 

 fallen out of the last paragraph on p. 18 might 

 help a beginner. 



Drainage for health ; or. Easy lessons in sanitary science . 

 By Joseph Wilson. Philadelphia, Blakiston, 1886. 8°. 



This is a revised edition of a work on drainage, 

 house-plumbing, etc. It is written in quaint, laconic 

 style, and impresses the reader with having been 

 prepared by one of pronounced opinions. In 

 some parts it is excessive, and as a literary model 

 can hardly be recommended ; nevertheless it con- 

 tains some very good advice and instructions. 



De la disinfection des vmgons ayant servi an transport des 

 (ivimaux. By Dr. Paul Reuard. Paris, Doin, 1886. 8°. 



This is a work that should be of service in 

 America, where the questions of cattle transporta- 

 tion have frequently been of no little importance. 

 The work treats of the danger of transportation 

 of diseased cattle in railroad-cars, with evidence 



of the diffusion of epizootic diseases from such. 

 It gives also the principal European laws regulat- 

 ing the disinfection of cattle-cars with the com- 

 parative values of the different means employed. 

 The author concludes that the various chemical 

 agents, such as phenic acid, chloride and sul- 

 phate of zinc, sulphur, etc., are inefficacious. 

 The results obtained by superheated steam (230° 

 F.) were constant and successful. He describes 

 methods by which disinfection may thus be ac- 

 complished with speed and certainty. 



Mechanical integrators, including the various forms nf 

 planimeters. By Prof. H. S. H. Shaw. New York, 

 Van Nostrand, 1886. 24° . 



In this convenient little book we have a sys- 

 tematic presentation of the principles on which 

 mechanical integrators and the various forms of 

 planimeters are based. The divisions of the book 

 are as follows ; planimeters in which slipping of 

 the measuring roller takes place ; planimeters 

 in which only pure rolling motion is assumed 

 to take place ; moment planimeters ; continuous 

 integrators ; limits of accuracy of integrators, 

 both theoretical and experimental. Many forms 

 of these instruments are described, and a host of 

 inventors named from all countries. Among them 

 Professor Amsler still holds the first place for 

 the variety of his inventions, and their adapta- 

 bility to a wide range of calculations, — to finding 

 areas, average pressure on indicator diagrams, 

 centre of gravity, contents of embankments, etc. 

 From his works at Schaffhausen, more than 

 twelve thousand polar planimeters have been sent 

 out. This paper was originally presented before 

 the Institution of civil engineers, and the report 

 of the discussion that followed it contains many 

 interesting practical points with reference to the 

 use of these instruments. As the importance of 

 such mechanical aids in calculation is becoming 

 more and more felt, a book like this is useful and 

 welcome. 



It is not often that a well-known scientific 

 man has the melancholy pleasure of reading 

 obituary notices of himself, as appears to have 

 been the case with Dr. J. Jacob v. Tschudi, the 

 South American explorer. Natur now corrects 

 the error by slating that it was his brother, 

 Friedrich von Tschudi, who died at St. Gall, 

 Switzerland, on Jan. 24 last. Friedrich, though 

 less known to American readers, did much good 

 work in natural history of a popular or general 

 character, the most important of which was his 

 ' Thierleben der Alpcnwelt.'' He was nearly sixty- 

 four years of age. J. J. v. Tschudi, though four 

 years his senior, is still actively engaged in re- 

 search, as the frequent papers from his pen attest. 



