BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. Great Britain. The Power of the Soul over the Body, considered in relation to Health and Morals. By George Moore, M. D, &c. tagonism. Mr. Newnham belongs to a certain extent to this class of inquirers, although he does not advance beyond the mere threshold of the inquiry. He began, like most others, in being opposed to so-called mesmerism, and was asked by some friends to write a paper against it, in which a priori proceeding he was assisted by a person THE first apparent purpose of Dr. Moore is who furnished him with materials which proved to prove that the soul is immaterial, and has an incontestably, that under some circumstances the existence separate from the body, with an action operator might be duped,-that hundreds of enapart from the brain, and depending as a medium lightened persons might equally be deceived: rather upon the nervous system. With this ob- and certainly went far to show that the pretendject he goes over a large extent of ground, physi-ed science was wholly a delusion; but the intelological, metaphysical, and physical-in the sense lect of the author of the "Reciprocal Influence of the disease or ill effects induced by disordered of Body and Mind" was so tempered by the inaction or disordered emotions. During this long vestigation of abstract truths, that he felt at once survey, he brings together a great number of cu- that the facts so placed before him only led to the rious facts relative to the operations of the mind direct proof that certain phenomena might be in health, in disease, and in the abnormal states counterfeited-and the existence of counterfeit of insanity, mesmerism, and somnambulism; but coin is rather a proof that there is somewhere the without inducing conviction in his main object; genuine standard gold to be imitated. It is needsince, if thought, or rather mental volition, is im-less to say, that when he investigated the facts possible to matter, then is the mind of brutes im- with such absence of all prejudice, he soon found material. We are not sure that Dr. Moore amidst much fraud and jugglery, also many valumight deny this conclusion; but if it be admitted, able truths; to expound which, and the causes no religious results can he deduced from immate- why the subject has not been fairly investigated, riality. Something of the same logical defect and the reasons of the opposition and contempt may be visible in the practical conclusions aimed which it has generally to put up with, is the ob at. We all know the power of the mind; how ject of the present work.-Lit. Gaz. the health and the functions of the body are controlled by it; how one passion or emotion is subdued by another more powerful. The difficulties lie in the discovery and application of the proper stimuli, so as to act not at random but by rule, and safely as well as regularly for intense emotion may not only injure health but destroy life, As some of Dr. Moore's instances show. Proper nutriment and proper exercise are the true principles for a healthy human being, if we could but apply them; though, perhaps, the mens sana in corpore sano requires a good basis to proceed upon. If, however, Dr. Moore's conclusions are not altogether convincing, his book is curious, and attractive from the number of curious facts he has collected together.-Spectator. Description and Uses of the Improved Moveable Planisphere, exemplified in a Series of Problems, showing its utility as a cheap and portable Substitute for the Celestial Globe. By Jehoshaphat Aspin. THIS is a singularly ingenious contrivance, and must prove exceedingly useful to those who are anxious to acquire a knowledge of what has been not inaptly called "celestial geography." In order that our readers may be able to form some idea of the meritorious contrivance, we shall give Mr. Aspin's account of the objects and uses of the Improved Moveable Planisphere. On this head Mr. Aspin makes the following observations: Human Magnetism; its Claims to dispassionate Inquiry: being an Attempt to show the utility of simple in its construction, affords the means of The Improved Moveable Planisphere, though its Application for the Relief of Human Suffer-solving most of the problems usually worked uping. By W. Newnham, Esq. 8vo. pp. 432. John Churchill. on the celestial globe, with considerably less labor and nore perspicuity in regard to the divisions of hours than can be effected by the ordinary twelve-inch globe: and, to say nothing of its comparatively low price, its portableness will procure it a decided preference in situations where the globe might prove an incumbrance. MR. NEWNHAM is a new advocate for the existence of human magnetism, and a volunteer to the ranks of expounders of a subject of inquiry which has hitherto been lessened in estimation chiefly by its own followers. Contemned by men of science, phenomena of high interest have The Improved Planisphere, consisting of only been handed over by tacit consent to ignorant two cards, affords by a single movement of one empirics and traders in the mysterious-and the of them, the times of the star's rising throughout demand for such appears at the present moment the year; by a second motion, its times of culmito have grown up in an inverse ratio to the atten-nation; and by a third, its times of setting for the tion given to the subject by persons of philosoph-like period. By means of a moveable index, corical habits. This state of things cannot last long, responding to the brass quadrant of the artificial the time will come when the most skilful and intellectual research will be centered in eliminating the true from the false, and establishing, on the incontrovertible basis of observation and experience, the principles of those physiological phenomena, in which the relations of the senses, of the mind and body, and of one human being to another, are brought into such wonderful an globe, most questions relative to the apparent movements of the sun, moon, planets, and fixed stars, or their positions at particular moments, may be correctly answered. This index forms an entirely new feature in the construction of planispheres, and renders the Improved Moveable Planisphere peculiarly useful and amusing to young persons who may not have the advan For the use of schools this Planisphere possesses the decided advantage that each pupil may have one, either for the purpose of following the verbal instructions of the teacher in the hour of study, or for self-improvement in leisure moments; a benefit not to be derived from a globe, which pertains to the whole school. We would wilingly quote Mr. Aspin's description of his ingenious and useful invention, but have not the requsite space. It cannot fail to find its way into general use when its merits become known. The Diplomatic Correspondence of the Right Honorable Richard Hill, LL.D., F. R. S. L. Envoy Extraordinary from the Court of St. James to the Duke of Savoy, in the Reign of Queen Anne. Edited by the Rev. W. Bluckley, B. A. 2 vols. THE author of this voluminous correspondence was for nine years Paymaster of the Forces in Flanders under King William III., subsequently a Lord of the Admiralty, and in the following reign Envoy Extraordinary from the British court to the Duke of Savoy. It is only recently that the valuable papers here printed were discovered. They embrace a period of great interest, from 1703 to 1706, and are illustrative of the secret policy of some of the most distinguished sovereigns and statesmen of Europe as regards the Spanish succession, of the rights and liberties of the Vaudois, guaranteed by England, and of the wars of that period in the Cevennes, Piedmont, and Lombardy. Among the letters, there are several from Queen Anne, the King of Spain, the Princes Eugene, D'Armstadt, and Leichtenstein; the Dukes of Savoy, Marlborough, and Shrewsbury; Earls Peterborough and Nottingham; the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Godolphin, and Sir George Rooke. As materials of history, they are of vast importance, but we are inclined to consider them more fitted for future reference than for present reading. It is the pains-taking scholar only who of matcan be got to peruse nine hundred pages ter-of-fact correspondence. The Vaudois: Comprising Observations made during a Tour to the Valleys of Piedmont, in the Summer of 1844. By E. Henderson, D. D. 12 mo. pp. 262. Snow, London. sides, where truth found its home in evil times, in lan guage which places them vividly before us. We hive read many books on this subject, but no one with greater interest than the present. SELECT LIST OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS. GREAT BRITAIN. Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Dieman's land, by P. E. De Strzelecki.. The Pencil of Nature, by H. Fox Talbot, F.R.S. Eight Lectures on the Scriptural Truths most opposed by Puseyism, by J. E. Howard. The Unity of History: outlines of Lectures, by the Rev. C. J. Abraham. History of England under the AngloSaxon Kings, from the German of Lappenburg, by B. Thorpe. Illustrations of the Rock-Cut Temples of India, by J. Fergusson; Text to accompany ditto. Prayers for Persons in Private, by the Rev. P. Wilson. Oxford University Statutes, translated by G. R. M. Ward. The Books of Common Prayer, reprinted in black letter, 6 vols. folio, bound in parch Thesaurus Græcæ Linguæ, ab H. Stephano constructus. Edider. C. B. Hase, G. et L. Dindorfius. Vol. IV. Fasc, IV. Paris. Dictionnaire des Hérésies, des Erreurs et des Schismes. Histoire de l'Armée de Condé. Par T. THE design of this publication is to excite a more general attention and sympathy in behalf of The introduction the people of whom it treats. to the work extends to somewhat more than forty pages, and presents a careful and authentic sketch of the history of the Vaudois-those ancient witnesses to the vitality of scriptural Chris-Muret. tianity. In the chapters which follow, the reader -assisted by a convenient map-accompanies Paris. our traveller from point to point of his journeyings through the Valleys. These chapters supply much deeply interesting information concerning the people, and describe those glens and hill Jacqueline Pascal. Par V. Cousin. Erpétologie générale, au Histoire naturelle et complète des Reptiles. Tom. IV. Paris. |