tion; and this emotional tendency, more or less strong in the human race, we call religious feeling or religion." Admirable! but how far accepted? We hope that the agreement of Messrs. Brownson, Hill, Washburn, Deems, Fiske, and Co., in denouncing the groundlessness of the "conflict," will not be construed as implying any agreement among the parties as to what religion is. If these gentlemen will get together and settle the point, an important step will be gained; and The Popular Science Monthly will gladly pay the expenses of a convention of reasonable length for such a purpose, but we stipulate not to foot the bills until they reach an agreement.
A Short History of Natural Science and of the Progress of Discovery from the Time of the Greeks to the Present Day. For the Use of Schools and Young Persons. With Illustrations. Pp. 467. D. Appleton & Co. Price, $2.
We called attention recently to the influence of the Centennial in stimulating the study of political history, and expressed the hope that the gathering together of the products of art, science, and industry, of all nations, at the Great Exhibition in Philadelphia, would have the effect of promoting the historical study of this class of subjects in American schools. It was pointed out that this line of literature has been greatly neglected, and is so backward that students desiring to attend to it would be much perplexed to find suitable textbooks for the purpose. An important and very successful step has, however, been taken to supply this deficiency. The work now published under the above title, considering that it is the first attempt to treat the history of science in a brief and popular way for educational purposes, is of very superior merit. We took it up with doubt, we read it with a growing interest, and cordially recommend it both for general reading and as a school-book. The authoress has made no scientific discoveries; and we question if there are many who have done so who could make so judicious a compend of general scientific history as she has done. But, if she has not made a name as an explorer, she has been a careful student of science, and, having been for many years secretary to the late Sir Charles Lyell, and brought into contact with many of the leading scientific men of the day, she had peculiar opportunities of qualifying herself for the task of writing a popular scientific history. Her style is clear and direct, and her power of explanation we think something quite unusual, while the proportions in which the subjects are treated evince good artistic judgment in the work of bookmaking. Illustrations are introduced with discretion, to help the text, and brief biographical notices are interspersed which give interest to the course of the narrative, and the exposition of scientific work. The book is, moreover, essentially accurate and trustworthy; and executed with far more faithfulness than is usual in compilations. Miss Buckley's volume ought to be unhesitatingly and extensively adopted in our schools, and kept there until superseded by a better, which we suspect will not be very soon. We do not recommend it to be memorized, or made a matter of formal recitation, so much as for a reading-book to be gone over by suitable classes, with such questions and suggestions as an intelligent teacher can impart. So used, its influence in schools cannot be otherwise than valuable.
Diseases of Modern Life. By B. W. Richardson, M. D., P. R. S. Pp. 520. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Price, $2.
We have already given some excerpts from advance-sheets of this book, which is just issued. Dr. Richardson was led to the treatment of the subject by having first given special attention to the diseases of overworked men. He printed some essays on this topic, and followed them by others on diseases induced by various occupations and by indulgence in the use of alcohol and tobacco. These articles, having undergone revision and considerable extension, make up the present volume. The author carefully abstains from infringing upon the proper art of curing disease which belongs to the medical practitioner, and confines himself mainly to the symptoms and causes of modern maladies, and to hints toward their prevention. While the book will not be without value to physicians, it is carefully adapted to the wants and capacity of general readers. We have simply
