at our universities, it would be hopeless to attempt to make any impression, on our higher schools at least. Now, with two good men, working on right lines, and filled with contagious enthusiasm, at our two great universities, we may confidently expect that improvement will filter downwards.

It is nearly twenty years since the society felt compelled to raise geography from the low level it has occupied in English education. It memorialized both Oxford and Cambridge, but its memorials were scarcely even honored by a reply. Medals were offered for competition among certain (about fifty) selected schools of the higher grade; but after sixteen years these were dropped, from lack of competitors. Three years ago the council resolved to institute a thorough inquiry into the whole question of the position of geography at home and abroad, and did me the honor of appointing me to conduct the inquiry. The results of the inquiry have been published in the form of a report, which has been referred to at some length, on various occasions, in Science, so that I need not analyze it in detail here. The general conclusion was, that except in a few rare cases, depending mainly on the tastes of individual teachers, geography has no substantial place in English education. In many of our higher schools it is not taught at all. In most cases where it is taught, it is the barrenest of studies, consisting in the learning of long lists of names and figures. Rarely was any attempt made to show the intimate connection between physical and political geography, the latter being taken almost invariably in its narrowest and meagrest acceptation. In our elementary schools, on the other hand, some attempt is made, under the guidance of the Government Code, to make the subject a reality; but even here it is by no means compulsory. On the continent, again, especially in Germany, geography is everywhere taught, in every grade of school, and throughout nearly all classes in all schools. While the position is not the same throughout all the provinces of Germany, and while here also a good deal depends upon the teacher, still the subject holds a high position, and is taught after intelligent methods. It was everywhere admitted that improvement in Germany has been largely due to the establishment of chairs in the universities, of which there are now a dozen. In Austria, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, the position of the subject and the methods of teaching were far ahead of what we find in England. The Education Bureau of the United States very kindly instituted, on behalf of the society, an inquiry into the position of the subject in the schools there. Unfortunately the voluminous documents thus collected did not reach me until after my report was written; but, from what I gather from the documents, I fear American schools, so far at least as the methods and standard of the subject are concerned, are not very far ahead of those of the Old Country.

There can be little doubt that the society's recent action, apart from the results in the universities, has had considerable effect on the schools generally. It has drawn wide attention to the subject; not only laid bare its neglect and the poverty and wretched quality of the appliances used in teaching, but has set before the public a higher standard than was dreamt of before, and indicated how the despised and rejected subject might, with proper methods, become one of the most fruitful fields of scientifico-historical research. It has been shown that geography has a field uncovered by any other department. Of what is known as physical geography, — the topographical surroundings of humanity, there is not much to complain its facts and principles are pretty well known, and fairly set forth in numerous text-books. It is when we come to apply these facts to humanity, to deal with their bearings on the development of man in communities, that we find so much to desire. Mr. Mackinder defines geography as the physical basis of history: may we not extend this, and say it is the physical basis of all the activities of collective humanity? At present 'political' geography consists mainly of a catalogue of States and their subdivisions, their routes, towns, and chief manufactures.' If political' were taken in its wider and more correct sense, and political geography treated as the department of knowledge that dealt with the development of States so far as that is influenced by geographical conditions, then it is evident that both as a branch of knowledge and as a discipline we might expect the most fruitful results. What are the lines on which this new geography should run may be learned from the lecture of Mr. Mackinder, referred to above; from the lecture de

livered in connection with the society's exhibition, and presented in one large volume along with my report; and from an admirable paper by Dr. Boas in Science a few months ago. To attempt to develop the subject further here would take more space than can be allowed me. Suffice it to say that this aspect of it is rapidly gaining ground in England, both in our schools and among thoughtful men generally, and I am confident will make more rapid headway in the future.

It was part of my duty to collect specimens of the various appliances used in teaching geography at home and abroad. The collection thus formed so grew on our hands that it developed into a somewhat formidable space when displayed. This collection was on view in a large hall in London in the end of 1885 and beginning of 1886. During 1886 it was sent by request to Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bradford, and at each place attracted large numbers of visitors, chiefly teachers and those interested in education. The collection was not meant to be a model one, but only typical of the various appliances in use. It therefore contained good and bad; more of the latter, I fear, than of the former. The most prominent feature was the collection of wall-maps from the leading European countries. Besides these, there were relief-maps of all sizes, models, globes, telluria, text-books, atlases, and hand-maps, and a variety of other odds and ends. The principal result of this exhibition was to bring out in strong relief the poverty of English productions of this class, especially when compared with the variety and excellence of the appliances used in Germany. English wall-maps, for example, like English text-books and English geographical teaching generally, seem mainly intended to record names. Physical features are entirely subordinate, and special physical maps are rarely met with in our schools. High and aimless coloring is the most prominent feature of our maps and atlases; and these, with our text-books, reflect painfully the low standard of the subject which exists here. German maps, again, while capable enough of improvement, are in execution, instructiveness, intelligence, and accuracy, far above any thing we have here, except in one or two cases. In the best German schools we find wall-maps always in pairs; a physical map, with physical features simply, but permanently laid down, and no names ; and a political map, with the physical features subordinate but clear, in which the political features and names are laid down. Some of the best wall-maps come from Winterthur, near Zürich, from the establishment of Randegger, and are almost perfect specimens of cartography. Even Italy, following close on the heels of Germany, furnishes its schools with better maps than does England; while France, though improving, is not often very far ahead of ourselves. To Italy we owe some of the best large relief-maps, — maps accurately executed from surveys, and with the minimum exaggeration of altitudes. At the same time Delagrave of Paris sent some beautiful specimens of large relief-maps by Mlle. Kleinhaus. The great model of the Monte Rosa group, executed by Imfeld and Heim of Zürich, was the gem of our exhibition, and has been secured for the science collection at South Kensington. Unfortunately its price places it beyond the reach of most schools. But reliefs of a glacier, of a volcanic island, and other subjects, by Professor Heim, are cheap enough, and of the greatest utility in teaching physical geography. I am glad to say that not a few teachers were induced to invest in copies. The globes were mostly too small. No globe under eighteen inches diameter is of much use for the purpose for which such an article is ordinarily used. The larger the better, but unfortunately large globes are too dear for ordinary schools. We had one or two relief - globes, but the exaggeration of altitudes is so great as to render such globes pernicious. We had some very large black slate globes of foreign make and wonderfully cheap, with only the lines of latitude and longitude marked. These globes, in the hands of good teachers, can be put to excellent use in a variety of ways. The ordinary planetarea and telluria are mere toys. Their mechanism is so coarse and elaborate as to convey the most erroneous conceptions to young pupils. The most useful thing of this kind was a simple terrestrial globe on a revolving arm, with a small glass globe in the centre to hold a candle, which represents the sun. But any teacher who knows his business, can, with a simple ball or an orange, and a lamp, show all that the most elaborate tellurium can illustrate, and with much less risk

of conveying misleading ideas. We had a simple and highly instructive arrangement devised by Mr. Francis Galton, to whose initiation I may say the whole of this geographical movement is due, to show the relative sizes of sun and earth and moon. We supposed the distance between sun and earth to be reduced to 56 feet. On a wall we fixed a disk of cardboard colored yellow, 6 inches in diameter, for the sun. On a table 56 feet away we had a pellet of wax, .056 of an inch in diameter, suspended by a hair to the end of a splinter of wood 1.68 inches in diameter, to represent the earth. At the other end was another pellet, .015 of an inch in diameter, to represent the moon. This arrangement costs nothing, and can be adapted to any building. In fact, there is ample room for a variety of demonstration of the kind in connection with geographical teaching, as well as of experiments to illustrate geographical facts. Thus the crumpling of the earth's crust might be illustrated by bringing lateral pressure to bear on a plastic material; and already in a few English schools sand and clay are used to build up the physical features of a country or region. The magic lantern also may be used with great effect to produce large-scale maps on the screen, to exhibit special features, and to bring pictures of typical landscapes before the eyes of the pupils. One of the most interesting and novel of our exhibits consisted of several series of geographical pictures from Germany; that is, pictures whose special object is to show the characteristic features of the various regions of the globe, and the typical forms assumed by the leading classes of phenomena with which geography deals. The best of these pictures is the series of about thirty oleographs published by Holzel of Vienna, and which are now coming into use in this country. Above all things, such pictures must be accurate, and therefore good large-scale photographs are often to be preferred,

such photographs, for example, as are produced by the United States surveys and by private enterprise, - of some of the most striking features in American scenery. For teaching purposes, however, it should be remembered that it is not extraordinary features that are desired, but typical aspects of the earth's surface, ordinary mountain forms, a prairie, a delta, a tundra, a steppe region, a coral island, a sandy desert, and so on.

The text-books and altases which were exhibited were analogous to the wall-maps. The English text-books were mostly too large, and too crowded with names and tables, and made no attempt whatever to show the intimate relation between all sections of geography, and the influence which man's geographical surroundings has upon his social and political development. The German text-books are comparatively small; contain mostly heads of subjects, the filling-up being left to the teacher, who has generally had a thorough training in geography at the university or the normal school. I am sorry I cannot speak very highly of American text-books. As a rule, the American text-book is combined with an atlas and picture-book, - an arrangement which I do not consider a happy one. Neither text, nor maps, nor pictures, are any better shown than we have on this side; and even with Guyot's geographical manuals we were much disappointed.

Altogether the collection of geographical appliances has proved most suggestive and instructive. Reform has already begun. Many schools are now using Kiepert's wall-maps, and publishers are making haste here to supply the glaring want of good textbooks, atlases, and wall-maps. Teachers have been stirred up to recognize existing deficiencies, as well as the undreamt of capabilities of geography when treated liberally and intelligently. They see that in geography, as in mathematics, a special training is required if it is to be taught effectually. The society appeals to the elementary teacher by offering a series of prizes on the basis of the examinations of the training-college students, and many of the school boards are instituting radical improvements in their geographical appliances. Out of the collection, which is once more in London, we are forming a small typical collection for exhibition to any who may wish to know what are the best things in any department. This collection is of course very small to begin with; but we hope, that, as improvements are introduced, we may be able to extend it.

Altogether I hope it may be seen from these notes that the Geographical Society has at last succeeded in raising geography from the slough in which it has lain so long in this country; has not

only initiated great improvements in the teaching of the subject, and obtained its recognition at our great universities, but has shown that it is eminently capable of becoming a fruitful and instructive medium of research, worthy of taking its place alongside of other departments of scientific investigation. J. SCOTT KELTIE.

THE STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY. THE Ausland of May 9 contains an extract of A. Stauber's essay on the promotion of the study of geography, which carried the prize offered by the King of Belgium. The author discusses the methods which ought to be applied in primary teaching, in highschools, and in colleges. In the primary grade, the method is that of object-teaching. First, the geography of the child's own country is taught, beginning with the nearest surroundings, the schoolhouse or home, the village or city, the county, and so on. The close connection between natural history and geography must be kept in mind by the teacher, who is warned against overburdening the children's brains with names and dates. The drawing of maps and the use of charts are recommended; but Stauber remarks justly that not too much weight should be laid on the drawing of maps, which must only be practised as a means to impress the configuration of the earth's surface more effectively on the child's mind. In the upper classes, an atlas ought to be used, but it is important to select maps which contain the proper amount of material and show the geographical features of the country clearly and simply. After the native country has been thoroughly studied, the geography of the native continent, and later on that of the other continents, is taught.

In high-schools and colleges the analytic method gradually takes the place of the synthetic. The reading of travels is recommended as a means of making the study more attractive and of preventing its becoming a mere memorizing. The connection between natural history and geography must always be emphasized, and characteristic objects ought always to be shown. But, in order to be able to do this kind of work, teachers ought to be thoroughly conversant with the problems of geography. This can only be accomplished by the study of geography at a university. Therefore the establishment of professorships of geography is demanded. At the present time there are seventy-five such professorships at European universities. In Prussia, every university has its professor of geography; at other German universities there are lecturers. In England, geography will be taught in Oxford and Cambridge, as lecturers were appointed a short time ago. In Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, and in the United States, the science of geography is not taught by specialists, but, when it is taught at all, only incidentally.

Among the manuscripts which received honorable mention is an American one by Prof. Richard Owen of New Harmony, Ind. We are indebted to the author for a statement of his proposals.

The first principles of his method of teaching are, that he only makes one step at a time from the known to the unknown, and that the eye instructs more than the ear, and that consequently, whenever practicable, the object that is being described, or a good representation of it, should be shown. As a consequence of his first principle, he presents only one thing at a time. For instance, he uses a separate outline map, 1st, for the general outlines of the cqntinents; 2d, for the same with mountains only; 3d, for the same with rivers added; 4th, for all these with political divisions. He depends chiefly upon numerous plastic relief-maps as a system of instruction, and shows that these can be made very economically, and that children of from ten to twelve years of age take great interest in their construction. He begins his course in the same way as Stauber, by having the student study the geography of his home, and by having him make the plan and model of the school-house, or of his own house and garden, by measurement and according to a definite scale. Then he proceeds to teaching the topography of his town, county, state, and finally of the United States.

Using the globe, he begins to give his pupils an idea of the earth being nearly a sphere, by various demonstrations, and by calling in a traveller who testifies that he returned to the place of beginning of his travels by steadily travelling west, and thus teaches the elements of mathematical geography. In teaching, he uses numerous maps and diagrams, showing the phenomena of physical geography, and models to explain the forms of the earth's surface.

HEALTH MATTERS.

Evergreens and Consumption.

AT a meeting of the American Climatological Association, held in Baltimore, Dr. Loomis of New York read a paper on evergreenforests as a therapeutic agent in pulmonary phthisis, in which he said that it had long been known that similar climates, as determined by geographical and meteorological conditions, have different therapeutic effects. It is becoming more apparent that there is some relation between the development of organisms and atmospheric conditions. Cold and high altitudes render the air aseptic; but the degree of cold and the height required are so great, that clinically it is not possible to derive much benefit from this fact. The effect of a purely aseptic air upon ulcerative processes is not so great as the effect of an atmosphere which is aseptic on account of the presence of antiseptic agents. The belief in the good effects of pine-forests in cases of phthisis is quite unanimous, and the clinical evidence in favor of their beneficial influence is unquestioned. The atmosphere in such regions is not only aseptic, but also antiseptic. Such an atmosphere contains considerable turpentine-vapor, and we should therefore expect it to contain a certain amount of peroxide of hydrogen. The majority of cases of phthisis die, not directly from the lesions in the lung, but from the secondary septicemia and pyæmia which are set up. It is impossible to apply to the ulcerations within the lung the antiseptic washing and dressing that is employed in external lesions; but, if an antiseptic atmosphere can be obtained, we may hope to counteract the secondary poisoning. Such an atmosphere will not destroy the bacilli, but it will accomplish much in the way of arresting the suppurative process. The atmosphere in the region of evergreen-forests acts in a manner similar to the antiseptic agents which are successfully used to arrest suppurative processes in other portions of the body; and, in all probability, the active agent is peroxide of hydrogen resulting from the oxidation of the turpentine-vapor. While it is not possible for every one suffering with pulmonary phthisis to go to an antiseptic atmosphere, yet it is possible to render the air of any particular locality antiseptic. In the course of the discussion of Professor Loomis's paper, Dr. Cohen reported excellent results in the way of alleviating the symptoms of phthisis by the inhalation of terebinthinate substances, especially when associated with the peroxide of hydrogen, or oxygen.

The Republic of the Future; or, Socialism a Reality. By ANNA BOWMAN DODD. New York, Cassell & Co. 24°.

THIS is not a pretentious book, but a pleasantly written series of letters "from a Swedish nobleman living in the twenty-first century to a friend in Christiana." It appears from the letters that the American Republic has been dynamited, and upon its ruins a socialistic republic established. The year of the revolution is 1900, and, by placing the date of the letters late in the twentyfirst century, the author assumes sufficient time to have elapsed to fully develop the characteristic society. The Swedish nobleman, recognizing the evils of society based upon the principle of competition, and learning that the Americans (that is to say, the Germans and Irish, who have exterminated the English stock) have succeeded in forming a socialistic society, pays a visit to this strange people for the purpose of studying their institutions. His letters are descriptive both of what he saw and of what he thought.

Such is the plot of the book, and it certainly is an attractive one; but, to be useful as an argument, the ideas from which it starts must properly represent the socialists, whom it undertakes to criticise. This, however, it fails to do. The author is either ignorant of the writings of the best socialists, or has deliberately chosen the views of inferior men in order the more easily to ridicule them.

It is right that such a charge as this should be sustained by specific statements, and we will call attention to three points in which these letters fail to appreciate or to understand the theory of socialism.

First, It is assumed that socialism demands absolute equality of

condition for example, only homely women are permitted to become educated, lest the equality of attractiveness should be destroyed; and much more of the same sort. This is foreign to the spirit of socialism. "It is not equality of condition, but equality of opportunity, that is demanded. The rule of distribution is that each shall share in the good things of life according to his efficiency as a producer. It is communism which says, "To every man according to his needs: " socialism says, "To every man according to his ability."

Second, It is assumed that government directs methods of expenditure as well as methods of production. In this Republic the houses are built according to law. Dress, too, is prescribed. But all this is a mistaken notion. It is not found in the writings of representative socialists. Indeed, the opposite is expressed. A sharp line is drawn between wealth used as capital, and wealth used for giving enjoyment to the consumer; and there is no suggestion that law should prescribe how this second class of wealth may be used.

Third, The author of these letters says that Progress and Poverty' is the Bible of the new republic. It is read from the rostrum of the temple erected to ethical culture, a temple, we are told, which stands without a steeple. Now, it seems hardly possible that our author could have read 'Progress and Poverty with care, or the many contradictions which exist between the views of Mr. George and those realized in the socialistic society described, would have been recognized. For example, socialism charges upon commercial competition all the evils of modern society it is therefore quite right to say, as our author says, that in a socialistic society competition in business-matters finds no place. But Mr. George does not desire to exclude competitive action: indeed, he is a firm believer in the doctrine of laissez-faire. He is a freetrader. He says, make one simple change in the system of taxation, and the natural laws of trade will insure justice. No socialist would recognize him as more than a temporary leader. He does not go far enough. He proposes only to nationalize land: the socialist would nationalize both capital and land.

This review has taken the book reviewed to be a serious argument against socialism. As such it is worthless, because it does not properly apprehend what socialism means. The reviewer does not call attention to this because he is a believer in the programme of social reform set down by Blanc and Lasalle, but because he feels that every witticism made at the expense of truth assists the cause which the writer of this book undertakes to oppose. It may be that this point of view is incorrect. Possibly the book was intended to be merely a bit of facetious writing. As such it is a success. It is bright, in good style, and full of pleasing imagination; but for an argument it is too full of imagination.

HENRY C. ADAMS.

The Electric Transmission of Energy. By GISBERT KAPP, C.E. 12°. New York, Van Nostrand.

THIS book forms one of the 'Specialists' Series,' which is a series of handbooks for students and practical engineers. It begins with the customary résumé of the elements of electrodynamics, together with a brief study of the nomenclature of the science, and the units used in electrical measurements. While this part of the work is, on the whole, well done, it is evidently the product of the so-called 'practical' mind, rather than that of the educated or well-informed electrician.

A few curious statements occur, which illustrate the difficulty with which makers of handbooks contend in attempting to absorb, or at least to represent, purely scientific conceptions. As an instance the following may be quoted: “The potential of a body is its property of allowing energy stored up in it to become potent, that is, to do work." An investigation of the ideal motor and the ideal system of transmission is followed by an examination of the various types of armatures and the principles which govern their action. The fieldmagnet is then taken up, its many forms illustrated, and some attention is paid to magnetic resistance, self-induction, etc., use being made of characteristic curves' in the development of the principles involved. The subject of the efficiency of the motor is treated at some length, and various systems of transmission are described, including some of the applications of electricity to railway locomo

tion. Tolerably complete discussions of some of the principal trials of long-distance transmission are also included, together with some of the numerical results of these trials. The volume contains much that is interesting and useful to students of electricity, and will be of undoubted value to those who are engaged in its practical application. The American reader will look in vain for any account of the more recent and highly important improvements in motors and systems of transmission which have originated in this country. This will not be a matter of regret to any one who has secured a copy of the next book under review.

The Electric Motor and its Applications. By MARTIN and WETZLER. New York, W. J. Johnston. 4°.

MADE up largely of articles contributed by its authors from time to time to the Electrical World, by far the greater portion of this volume is devoted to an exposition of the results of American activity in this field. Again is found on the first page the usual cut showing Oersted's experiment, and the usual brief and unsatisfactory presentation of elementary principles, without which it seems impossible for a book on electro-technics to make its appearance. Not much can be said in favor of this well-nigh universal introduction. The reader has but to turn over a single leaf to find himself involved in the use of such terms as counter-electromotive force,' 'Lenz's law.' 'the law of Jacobi,' and many others, for the proper understanding of which little assistance has been rendered in the short study of theoretical principles.' Books of this class are written for and read by those who already know more than the elements of the subject, and their presentation might safely be omitted. Two chapters are devoted to an account of the earlier experiments with motors in Europe and America, and in the division of space Europe gets five pages to America's sixteen. A chapter is given to the theoretical consideration of the problem of the electrical transmission of power, followed by a very short one on the electric railway and tramway in Europe, and a very long one on the electric railway and street-car lines in America. The use of storage-batteries with electric motors on street-railway lines concludes the first half of the book, the remainder of which is devoted to a consideration of the industrial applications of electric motors in Europe and America. Much the largest share of space is given to American systems and inventions, and many of the most important plants now in operation are described. The work is largely historical and descriptive in its character, a scientific treatment of the subject being only attempted in a single chapter.

As a résumé of what has been thus far accomplished, especially in this country, in the development of one of the most promising fields of applied electricity, it will be found to be very interesting and useful. Illustrations form a prominent feature of the work, there being as many as two hundred, many of which occupy an entire page. Several of the largest and most elaborate illustrations are intrinsically of very little value, being merely pictures' which are in no way especially related to the real object of the work, and convey no useful information. Of such may be mentioned a fullpage 'winter view' of an electric street-railway, in which the only thing suggestive of electricity is a possible lightning-rod upon a building in the background.

Electric Light Primer. By CHARLES L. LEVÉY. New York, The Author. 8°.

THIS little primer consists of thirty-five octavo pages of good, bad, and indifferent matter relating to the management of dynamos and electric lights. The practical man' here has full sway, and he wisely declares in his preface that "it is not supposed that these pages will be of any value to the electrician."

They would have been of much greater value to the workmen and engineer in charge of electric machinery if they had been prepared by one who really understood what he was writing about. As it is, a good deal of knowledge of the subject is required to separate the good from the bad.

The Storage of Electrical Energy. By GASTON PLANTÉ. New York, Van Nostrand. 8°.

THE work before us includes the principal researches of Planté, contributed to the French Academy, and various scientific periodicals, from 1859 to 1879. The fall history of the secondary battery, as it grew in his hands, will be found in the first two or three

chapters, and the construction of various forms is given with great exactness of detail. His use of the transforming rheostat for the purpose of obtaining electricity of high tension' is described at length, together with many practical applications of this device. The volume includes an account of Planté's experiments on the nature of the electric discharge under high tension, and also his application of these researches in the explanation of many natural phenomena.

While many electricians will be unable to agree with him in his conclusions, all will be glad to find the results of his labor in so compact and usable a form as that in which they are presented in this volume.

Electricity treated Experimentally. By LINNEUS CUMMING, M.A. London, Rivingtons. 12°.

ALTHOUGH an excellent little book, it will be something of a disappointment to the many teachers and students who have for several years made good use of the Theory of Electricity,' by the same author. The disappointment will grow out of the fact that it is a less complete and comprehensive treatment of the subject than will be generally looked for. It contains the substance of a series of experimental lectures given to senior boys in Rugby School, and not much preliminary mathematical training is assumed. In a few of the discussions a knowledge of mathematical principles as developed in the author's 'Theory' is desirable, but in such cases the fundamental formulæ may be taken for granted or the articles may be omitted. Magnetism is first studied, and then a relatively large space is devoted to frictional electricity.

Book III. is devoted to voltaic electricity, and fills rather more than one-half of the entire volume. At the end of each general subject will be found an excellent list of problems and exercises; and, as the author says, the book is educational, and not technical, in its plan and character. There are doubtless many courses of study into which it will fit with extremely satisfactory results. Facts and Fictions of Mental Healing. By C. M. BARROWS. Boston, Carter & Karrick.

THE writer of this book states that he has not himself been engaged in mental healing, but has enjoyed exceptional facilities for studying its operations, and investigating a great number and variety of alleged cures. He is convinced by the results of many careful tests, that, if the mental treatment of disease be not all that its most sanguine advocates picture it, it is a powerful therapeutic agent when skilfully used, and based on a philosophy which has done the world incalculable good. In presenting the claims of this method of treatment, he has tried to make it apparent that there is a sound physical reason why well-directed thought should help the sick as much as medicine does; that a mental cure is nothing mysterious, but a natural event, which could not but take place under favorable circumstances. He disclaims any desire to compel the reader's assent, but his aim has been to awaken thought and deepen the reader's interest by fairly stating the evidence both for and against mental healing, and let him decide for himself. There are facts that prove the possibility of such cures beyond a peradventure. There are fictions, also, which must be abandoned if mental healing is to get and retain a hold upon the popular attention. It has a philosophy that will bear the intensest light that can be thrown upon it; and the subject needs only to be presented to educated, thoughtful persons in the right way, to appeal to their intelligence and convince their reason. Under the title Mental Healing the author of this book includes spiritual healing,' ' prayer and faith-cure,' 'metaphysical healing,' 'Christian science,' and 'mind-cure.' In an introductory survey, the wonderful reputed cures are referred to of Dr. Newton, who, in Boston, in 1859, restored the sick to health by the laying-on of hands; of Elizabeth Mix, an ignorant colored woman of Connecticut, who performed many faith-cures; of Dorothea Trudel, who, in 1861, in Switzerland, worked remarkable cures of cases given over by physicians as utterly hopeless; and of others which want of space will not permit us to quote. The objection is often made to the various forms of mental healing, that there is no positive evidence that the cures are what they are claimed to be. Most of them, it is said, are performed by persons unskilled in the science of pathology, and not qualified to judge whether the subjects of their treatment really suffer from the

alleged disease, or, if actually sick, are fully cured. The best answer that mental healers can make to this charge is, that, whether right or wrong in their judgments of what ails their patients, they act precisely as any sensible physician would under like circumstances, and try to relieve the disease. In a chapter on the creeds of mental healers, we find that these differ to a considerable degree among the different schools or sects: for these points of difference we shall have to refer our readers to the book itself. Mr. Barrows states that it would not be putting the case too strongly to say that the theory of the mental healers, carried to the highest point, traces every form of disease, as well as sin, to mental causes, which may be removed and the effects destroyed. Even death itself they hold to be an illusion, that may be dispelled by a full reception of the truth and consequent right thinking. Thought creates a world for each one of us; thought makes the body; and all physical phenomena, whether of disease or health, are due to thought. In commenting on this view of the subject, the author says, that, if utterances like these seem extravagant, it should not be forgotten that a new truth — and every truth we grasp is new to us, though old to all the world beside - is apt to intoxicate its possessor, and become to his infatuated sense the universal solvent of the enigmas of life. Time and experience may safely be left to adjust the value of these claims; but meanwhile it is not the mark of wisdom to fear or ridicule them. We must confess, that, after a very careful reading of Mr. Barrows's book, we are as much in ignorance of just what is the basis of the mental healer's claim as we were before. They seem, indeed, to be divided into more sects or schools than those usually called physicians. Some of their claims, as quoted by Mr. Barrows, are simply absurd. Take this one, for example. It is an extract from one of the text-books of mental healing prepared for the guidance of students who intend to practise that method. If the case to be treated is a consumptive, begin your argument by taking up the leading points that this disease includes, according to belief, showing it is not inherited, that inflammation, tubercles, hemorrhage, and decomposition are but thoughts, beliefs, mental images before mortal mind, not the immortal Mind: hence they are not the truth of man, and should be treated as error, put out of mind, and then they will disappear from the body. That Mr. Barrows is a firm believer in mental healing is apparent from his writings; and that he himself believes that some of its teachers and practitioners make ridiculous claims for it, also seems to be clear. We are inclined to agree with some of the writers to whom he refers, with Dr. Buckley, for instance, who acknowledges that most extraordinary recoveries have been produced, some of them instantaneously, from disease in some cases generally considered to be incurable by ordinary treatment, in others known to be curable in the ordinary process of medicine and in surgery only by slow degrees, but can hardly be convinced that the case quoted from Nature and the Supernatural,' by Rev. Horace Bushnell, ever occurred, certainly not under just the circumstances as given, where a child ill with scarlet-fever was, immediately after a prayer made by his father, completely cured, so as to pronounce himself quite well and ask for his dinner. Mr. Barrows refers to the late Dr. Austin Flint with great respect for his opinions; and if mental healing, as he states, simply emphasizes the highest doctrines of the medical schools as announced by Dr. Flint, then we willingly acknowledge that there is much in it to demand consideration and recognition. Dr. Flint, in one of his addresses, said, "Let it be popularly known that most medicinal agents are curative, not directly but indirectly, by the removal of obstacles in the way of recovery; that Nature is always the efficient curative agent, and therefore that the physician is Nature's servant, not her master." We confess to a feeling of disappointment when we finished reading this book of Mr. Barrows. His preface seemed so fair and unprejudiced, that we expected to get a plain statement of the facts, particularly as he had stated that he had enjoyed exceptional facilities for study and investigation. If mental healing "is to get and retain a hold upon the popular attention," and if "the subject needs only to be presented to educated, thoughtful persons in the right way, to appeal to their intelligence and convince their reason,' we fear it must be done in a much simpler, more matter-of-fact, and less metaphysical manner than has been done by the author of Facts and Fictions of Mental Healing.'

NOTES AND NEWS.

THE officers for the next meeting of the American Association were nominated as follows: president, J. W. Powell of Washington; vice-presidents, Ormond Stone of the University of Virginia (Mathematics and Astronomy), A. A. Michelson of Cleveland (Physics), C. E. Munroe of Newport (Chemistry), Calvin M. Woodward of St. Louis (Mechanical Science), George H. Cook of New Brunswick (Geology and Geography), C. V. Riley of Washington (Biology), C. C. Abbott of Trenton (Anthropology), C. W. Smiley of Washington (Economic Science and Statistics); permanent secretary, F. W. Putnam of Cambridge (office Salem, Mass.); general secretary, J. C. Arthur of La Fayette; secretary of the council, C. Leo Mees of Athens; secretaries of the sections, C. L. Doolittle of Bethlehem (Mathematics and Astronomy), A. L. Kimball of Baltimore (Physics), William L. Dudley of Nashville (Chemistry), Arthur Beardsley of Swarthmore (Mechanical Science), George H. Williams of Baltimore (Geology and Geography), N. L. Britton of New York (Biology), Frank Baker of Washington (Anthropology), Charles S. Hill of Washington (Economic Science and Statistics).

The arrangements for the tenth annual meeting of the American Society of Microscopists are now definitely made. The society convenes in Pittburgh, Penn., Aug. 30, 1887, and will probably continue its sessions four or five days. There will be a fieldexcursion to Chartiers, and the society will be invited to visit the extensive steel-works of Carnegie, Phipps, & Co., at Braddock. The party will go by steamer up the historic Monongahela : a fieldexcursion has been planned in connection with this pleasure-trip. There will be collected a temporary library of rare books and manuals. A considerable number of volumes have been promised. These will be under the constant care of a librarian.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

The attention of scientific men is called to the advantages of the correspondence columns of SCIENCE for placing promptly on record brief preliminary notices of their investigations. Twenty copies of the number containing his communication will be furnished free to any correspondent on request.

The editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with the character of the journal. Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The writer's name is in all cases required as proof of good faith.

An Insect-Fight.

AN observation quoted by Professor Morse in his address before the American Association last night is so exactly confirmed by a recent observation of my own, that it seems worth while to put it on record.

While sitting in a hammock slung between two large mapletrees on the lawn, I heard a loud buzzing and fall of something behind me, and, looking around, I saw on the grass a locust (cicada) in the grasp of a large insect, evidently of the wasp family, but which I am not sufficiently well posted in entomology to name. It had brown wings, and large abdomen colored black or dark brown with white spots. The whole length of the insect was about thirty-five or forty millimetres. When first seen, the struggling locust was on its back; the wasp extended above it head to head, and industriously plying its sting between the abdominal wings of the locust. The locust quickly became quiet, and then the wasp, maintaining its former position, which it did not at any time abandon, grasped the head of the locust by the middle pair of legs, and, using the other four legs for locomotion, started to drag it through the short grass toward one of the trees. There was no hesitation or uncertainty, but the wasp started at once in a straight line for the foot of the tree. On reaching the tree, the wasp began without pause to carry its burden up the trunk, using its four legs for walking, as before, and assisting itself to sustain the weight of the locust by putting its wings in operation. In this way, with a few brief pauses as if to rest and get better hold, in one of which it hung for a moment apparently by one leg, the locust was carried up among the branches of the maple, some twenty feet or so, where it became difficult for me to follow its motions. After reaching such a height, the wasp flew off in a straight line through the branches, and went out of sight. I think it carried the locust with it, but the height was so great that I could not be positive. At any rate, the locust did not fall to the ground, although, as the