202 
Arthur Young's Travels in France. 
is nothing more which can be said. Dr. Tyndall has told us some- 
thing of the chemics and physics of the air we breathe, and it is no 
imputation on the science of the day to urge that something more 
has yet to be told. In our own organism, during the performance of 
the functions of life, we manufacture enough poison to kid us in a 
few hours, were it not for the aid of the excretory organs, which 
eliminate the deadly alkaloids and ptomaines from the living 
organisms as fast as they are formed. What equivalents of alkaloids 
and ptomaines are formed in the air under certain conditions, we 
know not — in fact, have not yet begun to inquire. 
G. T. Brown. 
ARTHUR YOUNG'S TRAVELS IN FRANCE. 
The notice of Miss Betham-Edwards's delightful book 1 — delightful 
because it is little, and because it reproduces the charming language 
of a master of our tongue — must of necessity be brief, much more 
brief than one of Arthur Young's complete work. Indeed, the two 
differ in some material respects. The latter is scarce, costly, and 
cumbrous in the hand. It is a heavy quarto — thus asserting its 
claim to position " on the line " in the libraries of the last century — 
and, oh, glory to Suffolk ! it was from a quiet press at Bury St. 
Edmunds, in MDCCXCIL, that it fluttered forth, with its short 
preface of three pages. Miss Betham-Edwards's present reprint 
commences with an Editor s Introduction of twenty-two pages, and 
a Biographical Sketch of thirty more, the price of all which, with 
"The Travels," or, rather, so much of them as Arthur Young termed 
the "Journal," and his chapter on the Revolution of France, the 
buyer will not find costly. Perhaps it would have been more accu- 
rate if Miss Edwards's book had borne the title of "Arthur Young's 
Journal in France, and his Chapter on the Revolution " ; for, in 
fact, out of the 566 pages of the quarto edition of " The Travels," 
no less than 250 are eliminated of matter relating to France, and 65 
relating to Italy — that is to say, far more than half of the original 
work. 
Everyone, however, will admit that what is given in the small 
volume is that which most interests the general reader, and that it 
is made doubly interesting by the editor's notes, which are as good 
and as instructive as might be expected from one so well acquaints! 
with the map, literature, and history of France as Miss Betliam- 
Ed wards. 
1 Travels in France by Arthur Young during the Years 178 <", 17SS, 1789. 
With an introduction, biogra liical sketch, and notes, by Miss betham- 
Edward.s. 2nd edition. Ueorge Bell & Sons, 1889. 
