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merits, the investigation of likely circumstances, the testing of hypotheses, 
methods by comparison of known truths, by calculation based on known 
truths, and many other topics, are in turn considered, always with clear per- 
ception and abundant apposite illustration. We must, however, go back 
to the first few pages for a confession of faith which gives its savour to the 
whole work. It is there affirmed that “ one of the most perfect ways in 
which we can show our obedience to the Creator and our feeling of thank- 
fulness for the numberless blessings we enjoy, is to develop new truths, and 
thus to hand down a larger share of their good results to our successors. One 
of the greatest bequests man can make to his fellow-men is the discovery of 
a great general truth. Discoveries are living waters, fresh from the fountain 
of intelligence.” 
W. H. Stois t e. 
THE STEAM ENGINE AND RAILWAYS. 
W E have had many books, popular and technical, written on the steam 
engine ; but hackneyed as the subject may appear, a perusal of 
Professor Thurston’s little volume * just published will show that there is 
still plenty of life in it. In this excellent treatise, which forms a part of the 
“ International Scientific Series,” the author adopts a rational historical 
treatment of his subject. He commences with the period of speculation, 
extending from the earliest recognition of the motive power of steam by 
Hero and other Greek philosophers to the time when the Marquis of 
Worcester first succeeded in applying this power to the performance of 
actual work ; and then describes the efforts made in this direction dining 
what he calls “the first period of application.” In this section of the 
subject we find the steam engine acting as a simple machine, with a single 
application to the business of pumping water, which it effected with more or 
less success. These rude inventions (among which we find engines worked 
by alcohol and gunpowder) performed a certain amount of work, and 
although their defects were serious, the efforts of mechanicians to im- 
prove them led to the employment of many useful contrivances. As 
Professor Thurston says: “The steam engine, as a simple machine, had 
been given as great a degree of perfection by the successive improvements of 
Worcester, Savery, end Desaguliers, as it was probably capable of attaining by 
any modification of its details,” and “ it now only remained for the engineer to 
combine known forms of mechanism in a practical machine, which should be 
capable of economizing and conveniently utilizing the power of steam through 
the application of now well-understood principles, and by the intelligent 
combination of physical phenomena already familiar to scientific investiga- 
tors.” In other words, the steam engine had to become “ a train of 
mechanism,” and it is to the history of its development in this form, com- 
mencing with the efforts of Newcomen in 1705, that the greater part of the 
present volume is devoted. The author traces most clearly and admirably 
* “A History of the Growth of the Steam Engine.” By Robert II. 
Thurston, A.M. Sm. 8vo. London : 0. Kegan Paul & Co., 1878. 
