Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 37.djvu/145

Rh its Place in the American Constitutional System, by Hon. Daniel H. Chamberlain.

The treatise on Money, by James Platt (Putnams, 75 cents), is historical, commercial, and economic in scope. It gives a sketch of the origin of money, after which the question, What is money? is discussed. The author defines money as "a commodity, of the same general nature as all other commodities." But he says that, although a wealth in itself, its utility consists in its ready convertibility. Paper is not money, according to his view. Considerable space is devoted to explanations and counsel about banking. Exchange and interest receive attention, and the author then proceeds to discuss wealth and capital. Some considerations on panics are given, with the aim of preventing the tight grip on money that always aggravates a panic. In the closing sections, means of attaining individual success and national prosperity are pointed out.

The History of Federal and State Aid to Higher Education in the United States has been prepared by Frank W, Blackmar, Ph. D., at the request of the Bureau of Education, as one of the series upon the history of higher education in the United States, authorized by the Secretary of the Interior. It is intended to represent the progress of the State idea in education from the foundation of the colonies to the present time. It discusses the rise of national education, with its relation to local, and brings forward the opinions of statesmen and scholars concerning the duties and functions of government in public education. A brief history is given of the methods adopted by Congress to encourage and assist institutions of learning, while the main body of the work is devoted to the presentation in a condensed form of the plans pursued by the Legislatures of thirty-eight States in the treatment of higher education. One of the strongest inferences drawn by Commissioner Dawson from the investigation is that in nearly every instance the foremost desire of the people has been for colleges and universities rather than for schools of a lower grade, the opinion having prevailed that primary and secondary schools were dependent for their existence on higher institutions.

The Twenty-seventh Annual Report of the Massachusetts Agricultural College gives an account of the work of the institution during 1889, with the usual information about course of study, professors, equipment, etc. Appended to this report is a paper by Prof. Paul Wagner, of Darmstadt, On the most Profitable Use of Commercial Manures, translated by Prof. Charles Wellington in answer to the demand for information on the subject.

In The Evolution of a Life (Holt Pubfishing Company, $2), Henry Truro Bray tells the story of his early life, of his career as a clergyman in the Methodist and then in the Episcopal Church, and of Ms being forced to leave the ministry on account of his growing disbelief in the supernatural doctrines of religion and his increasing disgust with the practices of church-members and men in holy orders. The experiences and incidents which are told in this volume under the veil of fictitious names exhibit many of the persons with whom Mr. Bray's labors brought him in contact in no very enviable light. The story, especially the part relating to the author's married life, reveals the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, discouragements and triumphs of an affectionate, sensitive, and religious nature, which has been sadly torn by contact with the world.

Bulletin No. 7 of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station contains accounts of experiments and observations on seven subjects. The chief article is on varieties of corn, and is illustrated with four plates. The other topics treated are the millets, sugar from sorghum, the codling moth, new Cynipidæ, the hog-louse, and varieties of grapes.

The Monthly Bulletin of the Iowa State Board of Health (Des Moines, 25 cents a year) is a decidedly practical and wide-awake document. Each number is made up of brief and timely articles on hygienic subjects, replies to questions, reports of mortality, and of the appearance of contagious diseases within the State, etc. A Signal Corps meteorological report for each month is also included.

A brief account of Massage and the Original Swedish Movements has been prepared for physicians and others interested by Kurre W. Ostrom (Blakiston, 75 cents). It describes the operations of massage, with figures, and the various passive movements belonging to the Swedish system. Lists of