Abstract
THE publication of this volume (of 500 pages) marks the completion of one of the greatest literary undertakings of the present age. As to the necessity for an index there can be no doubt, since, as the editor explains, the plan of the u Encyclopaedia Britannica was that subjects rather than words should be delilt with, and that large subjects should be discussed in a connected way, under general headings, so that the book might-be used not only for occasional reference, but for systematic study. This plan was adhered to, and the result is that “many things which a reader may wish to understand are explained, not under their own names, but in the course of a larger discussion.” In such cases reference must be made to the index; and this is so full and so accurate that no one who may have occasion to consult it will ever have the slightest difficulty in at once finding what he wants. The index has been compiled by Mr. William Cairns, and arranged and revised by the Rev. George M'Arthur, with the assistance of Miss Emily Steveiison and Mr. J. T. Bealby. The volume contains also a complete list of contributors, with a key to the initial letters affixed to the longer articles. A glance over this list, which includes almost all the foremost writers of the day, suffices to explain the high character of the work as a whole.
The Encyclopædia Britannica. Ninth Edition. Index.
(Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1889.)
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[Book Reviews]. Nature 39, 581 (1889). https://doi.org/10.1038/039581b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/039581b0