REVIEWS. 
181 
peciallj to the nricroscopist interested in the now popular germ theory of 
disease, this booh of Dr. Macnamara’s will he found full of interest. Doubt- 
less many of the author’s opinions will differ from those of his readers, hut 
nil will admit that, while putting forward his own ideas very clearly, Dr. 
Macnamara does no injustice to the ideas of his fellow-labourers in the field 
of medical science. Every theory and doctrine has its claim fairly discussed 
ere it is rejected, and we trust that the author’s notions, founded on a very 
•careful practical and literary study of the entire subject, will meet the atten- 
tion they deserve. The author sums up his opinions in a series of Aphorisms, 
which he styles the characteristics of the disease. We have not space to 
reproduce all these, hut we may observe that two of them, supporting as 
they do the general opinion of medical men in this country, are of special 
importance. One of these is to the effect, that the disease is never origi- 
nated de novo in an uninfected district by any condition we are acquainted 
with ) the other point is, that the disease is contracted by the passage into 
the body of some material derived from the intestinal canal of the affected 
person. 
As appendices to Dr. Macnamara’s work, there are a number of Reports 
on various Indian outbreaks, and an account of Dr. F. Macnamara’s army 
filter, a contrivance which bid3 fair to be of much use in the prevention of 
cholera. Our best thanks are due to the author for his labour. 
GEOLOGY AND REVELATION. * 
I T is with much pleasure that we note, from the Catholic side of the 
Christian church, a tendency to consider the statements in Genesis in a 
broader light than that in which they were viewed by the older divines. 
The present work has been written by the Professor of Theology to the 
Maynooth College, and its aim is pretty much the same as that of the works 
-of Hugh Miller, Dr. Pye Smith, and others. Dr. Molloy tries to prove, that 
the account given in Scripture of the creation of the globe is not to be taken 
in the literal sense of seven days ; but is to be regarded as implying possibly 
thousands of years, or a certain number of epochs. His method of argumenta- 
tion is a twofold one. He cites numerous passages from the writings of the 
Fathers, to show that such an extended interpretation of the Bible is not out 
of accordance with the views of theologians. Then he enters on a general 
popular sketch of Geology as a science, and shows that, by the record of the 
rocks, the world, as we see it now, is not the result of operations carried on 
during only seven days. Thus far it will be seen that Dr. Molloy goes no 
further than those who went before him, in this particular work of reconcilia- 
tion between science and the Scriptures. He tells us that the Biblical chro- 
nology did not commence till the creation of man, and that, dating from this 
time, it is absolutely correct. We of course do not differ from so erudite a 
theologian as Dr. Molloy on questions of this kind, but we doubt, if the chro- 
* u Geology and Revelation ; or, the Ancient History of the Earth con- 
sidered in the light of Geological Facts and Revealed Religion.” By the 
Rev. Gerald Molloy, D.D. London : Longmans, 18a). 
