National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-27
BOOKS REVIEW ED.


BOOKS REVIEWED.
A DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE. BY WILL
IAN SMITH, Ill, d. Revised and edited by
Revs. +. n. and NJ. A. Pcloubct Porter IL
Coates, Philadelphia Z. G. Pursell Wash
inton
The teachers edition" of Smiths
Bible Dictionary comes before the Ameri-
can public at very opportune time.
McClintock's great work and the SchaG-
Herzog encyclopedia Of religious knowl-
edge, with other valuable treatises ofthoir
kind, have been and are still indispensa-
bic to complete library, but mono Of
them supply the want OF the average
scholar or teacher. Tho old methods of
religious teaching have given way to the
modern systom, as outlined and olabo-
rated by tho International Lesson asso-
citation. Every possible light from art,
literature, and science is now focused on
religious education. Explorations have
been made and the ripest scholarship on
listed in this cause The valuable book
now published is compendium of all
that has been thus accomplished, and
constitutes in itself library. That 1t
has been revised and edited by the
Peloubets Is ono Of tho strongest proofs
Of its merit. Tho universal spirit Of in
vostigation now prevalent renders it i'm
perative that tho teacher and scholar
shall have such a handbook as this for
ready reference. The maps and illustra-
tions are complete, and have been framed
in accordance with latest discoveries,
while tho book abouuds in valuable in
fnrmntinu nouhnra alpa IN ha ohta in cd In,
so compact manner.
THE LOCKJAW OF INFANTS (Trlsmus Mas
centium). by j. II. HARTlGAN, NJ. ID. Biz
mlngham & Co., New York and London.
"The Lockjaw of Infants" (trismus
nascentium) forms tho subject of mono
graph by DIR. J. +. Hartigan, of this city,
Just published and for sale in the book
stores hore. 1t is most remarkable
work, not so much for its literary merits,
and tho style is clear, concise, and logical
albeit q little technical-as for tho
startling story ii tells Of the mortality in
this aud other countries of this dread dis
ease. A moderate estimate of the deaths
in this country alone from the recognized
cases is 25,OO0 per annum, while In many
places one.half of all infants born die
within few days after their entrance
into the world. The etiology of tho
hitherto mysterious scourge of infancy as
compiled by DIR. Hartigan will be most
interesting to the medical profession. aud
can scarcely fail to convince the most
skeptical of tho truth of his con
illusions as to the cause, which neces-
sarily include the prevention and cure
of trismus. But the chief value of the
In IL 10 To-, 30 30 hnr
and midwives, whom it tells in plain
enough language not only how to recog-
nize the trouble, but also shows them how
most etlectually to prevent and in many
cases cure the disease. The mystery SUR
rounding this early trouble of young hui
manity was first solved, as an abstract
proposition, by DIR. j. Marion Sims more
than third of II century ago. DIR. Har-
tigan followed the suggestion of the great
surgeon up, and found in his own practice
no less than in the reports of other OBJ
servers abundant confirmation of the
theory that the compression of the occi-
put, or back part of the skull, was the
immediate cause Of the disease.
LAL Novel. BY WILLIAM A. HAMMOND
W, II. Morrison.
1t takes one rather by surprise to see
DR.. Hammond's name connected with
anything SO frivolous as novel, but
upon reading "Lal" one becomes con-
WINGED that it is not quite SO unprofes-
sional performance to write novels as
one had supposed Had the book borne
the name of Rhoda BroughtOn or Ouida
anyb ody would have still known that it
came from physician's pen, and yet. or
perhaps, therefore, 1t has an interest
about it which carries you through even
its 466 pages. Whether Intentionally or
not, it is avigorous protest against the
modern school Of minute delineatiou of
extremely trivial circumstances. for 1t is
crammed from cover to cover with incl
dent. There is profusion of murders,
robberies, midnight escapes, and execu-
tions. The scene is necessarily laid in the
wild west where gamblers, horse thieves,
professional murderers, and other dra-
matte characters abound, aud it is inter-
esting to note the "dyer's hand" as it
were In the fact that in every murder or
execution we are always told just what
portion of the victims anatomy the knife
or bullet penetrates. Tho dramatic point
of the book is the contrast between the
| two very wildly drawn heroines-Lal,
| tho horse thief5 suggestions daughter,
| ignorant. uneducated, degraded, but. of
course, distractingly beautiful, and Theo-
dora, the no less beautiful doctors
daughter OF an erudition tho pro-
fundity of whose depths we tremble to
look into; who can look beautiful,
be entertaining, keep house. and at the
same time conduct experiments in evolu-
tion founded on the theory that Organs
are developed in accordance with the me-
cessities of the situations in which living
beings are placed" aud who by compli-
Gated arrangements, which are very in
terestingly described, can evolve feet to a
snake. True, the snakes die in the pro-
cess, but it is mono the less beautiful
and brilliantly successful experiment.
Between these two attractions the hero
oscillatos, but, of course, like all heroes,
succumbs to the charms of the rustic
maiden. Tho complications caused by his
struggle3 with himself, with fate, and
with politics, by Lal's various lovers and
tyrannical father, are dramatically told,
and you are interested all the way through
though wading in rivers of blood, and
feeling at the close, where the lovers bid
a temporary farewell. that, though itmay
have been natural for that sort of girl
to Ssk him to "kiss her onct agin," it il
difficult to believe II was attractive to a
person of our heroes unusual culture and
refinement.