Non-Classifiable Books

PREFACE. An abstract of the investigations into the nature of carbonaceous infiltration into the pulmonary tissues of coal miners, was read by Dr Makellar at a meeting of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh, Wednesday, 8th July, 1845, Dr Gairdner, President, in the Chair. Reference was made, in particular, to the East Lothian coal-miners. The carbonaceous disease described, was stated to be... more...

INTRODUCTION. Considerable parts of this book have been written for the unlearned. For the scholarly reader such parts, of course, would be wholly superfluous; yet it is hoped that they to whom these are familiar will be patient in passing through them for the sake of others to whom they may be instructive. Other parts, again, it is believed, will be found new to the most of even educated minds. But... more...

CHAPTER ITHE MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF LIVING SUBSTANCES Mechanical response —Different kinds of stimuli —Myograph —Characteristics of response-curve: period, amplitude, form —Modification of response-curves. One of the most striking effects of external disturbance on certain types of living substance is a visible change of form. Thus, a piece of muscle when pinched contracts. The external... more...

The CHEMISTRY OF FOOD. When Virgil composed his immortal "Bucolics," and Varro indited his profound Essays on Agriculture, the inhabitants of the British Islands were almost completely ignorant of the art of cultivating the soil. The rude spoils torn from the carcasses of savage animals protected the bodies of their hardly less savage victors; and the produce of the chase served almost... more...

CHAPTER I. DESCRIPTION AND SITUATION OF THE SWAMP—WASHINGTON THE OWNER. The Dismal Swamp, of which but little is known, is a large body of dense woods, being situated and laying in Nansemond county, Virginia, and the county of Gates, in North Carolina. It contains, by survey, about 100,000 acres. I have been told by H. E. Smith, Esq., our county treasurer, that 45,000 acres were listed in the county... more...

PREFACE. Before entering upon our subject proper, we think it advisable to explain a few points, simple though they are, which might cause confusion to some readers. Our experience has shown us that as soon as we use the words “millimeter” and “degree,” perplexity is the result. “What is a millimeter?” is propounded to us very often in the course of a year; nearly every new acquaintance is... more...

I.—INTRODUCTION. At present marriage is easily the most dangerous of all our social institutions. This is partly due to the colossal ignorance of the public in regard to sex, and partly due to the fact that marriage is mainly controlled by lawyers and priests instead of by women and doctors. The legal and religious aspects of marriage are not the primary ones. A marriage may be legal—and miserable;... more...

THE GENUS CAMILLEA. The receipt of a nice specimen of Camillea Cyclops from Rev. Torrend, Brazil, has induced us to work over the similar species in our collection. On our last visit to Europe we photographed the various specimens we found in the museums, but did not study them as to structure. However, they make such characteristic photographs that we believe the known species can be determined from... more...

ANCIENT BABYLONIAN AND EARLY HEBREW. From the misty ages of bygone centuries to the present day there has been a gradual interlinking of the literatures of different countries. From the Orient to the Occident, from Europe to America, this slow weaving of the thoughts, tastes and beliefs of people of widely different races has been going on, and forms, indeed, a history by itself. The forerunner and... more...

Obstacles have long existed to my presenting the public with a perfect edition of Shelley's Poems. These being at last happily removed, I hasten to fulfil an important duty,—that of giving the productions of a sublime genius to the world, with all the correctness possible, and of, at the same time, detailing the history of those productions, as they sprang, living and warm, from his heart and... more...