Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-06
BOOK NOTICES.


Critiques and Addresses by Thomas Henry Hux-
ley, L. l.. D., F. r. S. New York: ID. Appleton
Prof. Huxley has made name well
known to all men of science, and familiar
to large class of readers who take an
interest in scientific discussions and pro-
gress, without claiming TO be masters of the
subject. Like Agszziz, Carpenter, Spen-
Ger, Tyndall, Darwin and others, Huxley
is an earnest cultivator ofscience, success
full educator of the people. 1t Is in the lat
ter character that the volume before us bes
deserves newspaper notice, and public at
tentiou. The book introduces the reader
to an admirable address, to the members of
the Midland Institute, on administrative
Mill m;" or government that aims to do
nothing for education or the public interests.
Prof. Huxley contends that government
should be known and appreciated by the
tangible benefits which it confers on the
community, as well as by the taxes which
it collects; and that the measure and ex-
tent 81 thess phblic behefits can only be
determined by sound discretion. His ar
gument is in favor of popular education at
the expense of the nation; he speaks In be-
bali Of mental activity and culture, rather
than intellectual stupidity in the masses,
and administrative nihilism on the part of
the Government. "The Dialogues Of
Plato" are cited; Hobbies, John Locke and
any number of authorities quoted to prove
that the proper duties of "the State are
MOI so res ricted as t!any believe.
This matter of the duties of government is
up for consideration before the American
people, as well as by the people of Great
Britain, and half of the nations of Europe.
If State has any duties to perform to its
subjects, what are they? Do these subjects
receive from the governing power full and
fair equivalent for all the taxes they pay?
A day If reckoning has come for public
servants, both high and low, The idea has
prevailed for ages that all delinduencies In
the rulers Of States, legislatures and magis-
trates must be settled in a future spirit
world; but inquisitive science has
taught mari kind not to delay the
\ Gay Of judgment so long.
1t presses immediate responsibility to all
supporters of the Government, for the Quid
pro quo States, must be strictly honest, and
never take dime more than they give; else
in short time the administration becomes
den of thieves. There is but one way TO
avoid corruption of this sort, and that is for
the masses to understand their own inter-
ests, and punish promptly and emphatical-
ly every invasion of their rights.
The chapter on "Sehool Boards" COM
mends itself to all school, teachers, and
friends of education. Prof. 81. has
served as . member of such a Board
in London, and writes from experience.
The chapter on "Medical Education"
contai, suggestions of great value, but
lack Of space does not permit us to name
them, The scientific student will be in
terested in the chapter on "Yeast." Fer
mentation develops Ono one knows how
the yeast plant torula; while this in turn
develops new fermentation. Prof. Hux-
ley says: at is certain that in some an
mails, devastating epidemics are Caused BY
fungi OF low order-similar to those of
which torula [mother in vinegar is a sort
Of offshoot. 1t is certain that such dis
eases are propagated by contagion
and infection, in just the same
way as Urinary contagious and
infectious diseases are propagated."
In treating of mineral coal; the fact is
shown that fifty generations of plants were
required to form stratum one foot in
thickness; and allowing the average of one
generation to be about ten years, it took
500 years to produce one foot of coal. But
the sedimentsry rocks that were deposited
in the carboaiferous age, are 1900 feet in
thickness. At the same rate of growth al
lowed to coal strata, we must multiply a.
600 By 500 to obtain the number of Years
required SO build up this class Of rocks
alone. The time is found to be six million
years. Geology does for time, what astron-
omy does for space.
For sale by w. T. Berry & Co.
INSANITY: In its Relation to Crime, by VIM. A.
Hammond, NJ. d. New York: D. Appleton s.
Co.
The plea Of insanity is too often permit
ted to excuse crime of the worst character.
Every body appears full of pity for the
murderer, who 1t is assumed has lost his
reason, If he ever had any; while theSVic
tim who has lost his life by the hand of the
assassin, and the public whose lives are
in jeopardy, have no consideration what
ever. We are happy to say that DR.. Ham,
mOnd's monogram does not encourage this
misplaced sympathy for perhaps half crazy
criminals-the most reckless and malicious
in the world. As courts are now managed,
society pays an enormous bounty on crime,
End reaps a generous harvest.
1t is absurd to allow one man on a crimi-
nal trial or any other, to veto the deliberate
judgment of eIeuen jurymen, his peers and
equals in sll respects. This negative pow
er is alike unequal, unjust and individuals,
and most injurious to public morals. l.
enables any weak minded juror or one easily
bribed, to favor criminal, to prevent the
due execution of the law of the land This
obvious, and often intolerable outrage by q
regularly organized curt, encourages the
formation of committees of safety and
the irresponsible execution Of lynch law
to the disgrace of the State or district.
Lcwyers should not wish TO perpetuate the
errors and follies of past ages, nor wait for
medical doctors to point out, as DIR. Ham,
mond and others have done, the defects in
their profession. To clear guilty person
is either wrong against the Staie or the
Stste has no right to tax the community 10
punish one who ought to be clear without
q trial. There is no other machinery in
America that does so poor work, and al the
same time work that costs so much and
produces so little in the way of improve
ment or profit, as courts of law. Shall COM
mon sense and humanity wait one hundred
years more for reform to begin?
For sale by W. T. Berry & Co.
FooDs, by Edward Smith, MD. New York
d. Appleton & Co.
Whatever pertains to the nourishment of
The human body, whether vegetable, ami
NAL or mineral, solid, liquid or gaseous, is
here elaborately discussed. How a child
grows, and increases daily in weight, and
how the same child in old age loses n weight,
perhaps consuming the same food, present
points of great interest to studious and
thoughtful persons. All food should be
well adapted to certain purposes, and the
nature of these purposes shou d be univer-
sally understood. This implies reading and
reflection. DIR. Smith supplies in plain
terms, 8 large fund of Information on this
subject. There is no reason why the pro
duct;on of animal heat, carboDic acid and
vapor, flesh, fat, bone, nerve and brain
should not be as plain to common minds as
the boiling of water over wood or coal
fire. The bone in mans arm could not
exist there if his daily food did not contain
the earth-like salts known IS phosphate of