[Abercrombie] proceeds throughout on the method of Reid, and his treatises summarize some of the best results of the philosophy of Scotland. They are also valuable for the admirably reported cases illustrative of the influence of mind on body and body on mind. Nor is it to be omitted that there runs through all his works a vein of evangelical piety, decisive and outspoken without being offensive." " In his 'Intellectual Powers', he begins with stating what he regards as the object of science: it is to observe facts and trace their relations. He here treats of cause and effect, which he confounds with the uniformity of nature. He makes our belief in it an original instinct, but awkwardly brings observation and inference as involved in it. He distinguishes, in the manner of Reid and Stewart, between physical and efficient cause, regarding the former as the only object of philosophic inquiry. He opposes materialism, but not very effectively. He then treats of the faculties of the mind arranging them: sensation and perception, consciousness and reflection, memory, abstraction, imagination, reason or judgment. Under the last he treats of first truths. But by far the most interesting and useful parts of his works are those in which he treats of the practical application of metaphysical subjects, as, for instance, of the laws of investigation, of fallacies, attention."

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In reference to the very curious subject men tioned in page 316, and illustrated by the case de~ scribed by Major Elliot, the author is induced to add here a fact which has been communicated to him since that part of the volume was printed. A young woman of the lower rank, aged nine teen, became insane about two years ago; but was gentle, and applied herself eagerly to various oc cupations. Before her insanity, she had been only learning to read, and to form a few letters but during her insanity, she taught herself to write perfectly, though all attempts of others to teach her failed, as she could not attend to any person who tried to do so. She has intervals of reason, which have frequently continued three weeks, sometimes longer. During these, she can neither read nor write but, immediately on the return of her in sanity, she recovers her power of writing, and can read perfectly.