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a red solution and comes out Blue," and "Blue paper is put in a blue solution and Red," and "A Saint Patrick's comes Day Trick." Eighteen simple experiments giving tests for ten bases and three add radicals finish up with "Testing an Unknown." It seems doubtful to award a "Diploma as Amateur Analytical Chemist" for performing these eighteen experiments and doing one unknown correctly. The pamphlet will doubtless serve well the UUWose . . for which it was written. A commendable f a t u r e on the Iazt page is 3 lict of 15 well-knoxn chemistry books of a papular nature. These sbould lead the student later to a regular course in chemistry. WIJ.RELM SEGERBLOM
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the attempts to put the subject on a truly scientific basis were not very successful; extension of potentiometric methods to the study of organic oxidation-reduction systemsby Clark, Biilmann, La Mer, Conant. and others, gives a more truly scientific basis to this subject and a study of their work should precede a study of the extremely large body of experimental observations. F. 0 . RICE Exercises in General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis. HOEACE G. DEMING AND SAW B. ARENSON.John Wiley and Sons, New York City, 1926. Second edition, revised. xii 282 pp. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. $1.80 net.
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The authors have rearranged the order of topics to conform to that in the revised Elecho-organic Chemistry. C. J. BROWedition of Deming's "General Chemistry." MAN,Associate Professor of Chemistry, Several new experiments-specially those University of Georgia, John Wiley on substances and their properties, physand Sons. Inc., New York City, 1926. ical and chemical change, and oxidationxi 381 pp. 15 X 23 cm. $5.00 reduction reactionsare welcome addinet. tions. A few quantitative exercises have Professor Brockman has done an excel- been retained, although the authors "are lent piece of work in collecting together of the orrinion that quantitative work in and systematizing the bewildering mass an elementary course often consumes time of information an the oxidation and re- that were better spent in the accumulation duction of organic compounds a t elec- of useful and necessary qualitative intrades during the process of electrolysis. formation." The section on qualitative The book deals mainly with the prepara- analysis has been definitely improved, as tive conditions for obtaining high yields the result of experience gained in two and gives copious references to the liter- years of use in many schools. ature. H. H. LLOYD We learn (p. 17) that "The oxidation of aliphatic compounds often goes to cam- Qualitative Analysis. WILLIAMC. pletion, that is to water and carbon diCOOPER,MS., Ph.D. Professor of oxide. On the other hand, the aromatic Chemistry, De Paul University, Chicompounds have a great tendency to form cago, Ill., World Book Co., Yonkers-onp h m l i c compounds which form condensa142 Hudson, New York, 1926. viii tion products of a resinous nature. In a pp. 13.5 X 20 cm. $1.52. -meat many cases the formation of resins As is customary the "bases" are conis a serious handicap to the purification of the final ~roducts. When pyridine is sidered first, then the "acids," and finally used as the solvent this trouble is usually equations are given in the back portion of the book, some being balanced while encountered." Until a very few years ago this whole others are not. No "preliminary" work branch of chemistry consisted of qualita- is included. The text in general is poorly written, tive or semi-qualitative observations and
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not only from a pedagogic standpoint, but also from a scientific point of view. The author "presupposes a general course in inorganic chemistry in which the theory of equations, oxidation and reduction and the various problems in chemistry have been thoroughly taught." As a result of the reviewer's teachlng experience in three state universities he is of the opinion that such an assumption is anything but justified. A course in inorganic chemistry is sa "general" that the average student does not learn any of the principles thoroughly-time will not permit of such treatment. I t is in the realm of qualitative analysis that just those fund+mental topics, so superficially treated in inorganic chemistry, should be re-taught and "driven home" by repeated a9pZication. It is an ill contention that argues for the mastery of the ionic theory, mass law, and e q u a t i a ~an the part of a freshman. The subject of qualitative analysis affords such a wonderful opportunity for acqzriring and clinching a knowledge of these principles that they should never be omitted unless it is desired to give only a "surface exposure" to the course. I t is unfortunate that the subject is only too often thus treated in many of our colleges and universities. The reviewer agrees with the author that the time usually allotted is insufficient for the best and most thorough treatment of the subject. The theoretical content of the course has increased considerably during the last two decades but in most institutions the time allowed has not been increased. Despite this fact same preliminary work coupled with the treatment and application of fundamental principles should he included, or i t were better to omit the course entirely. It is utterly impossible t o teach a student to he scientific through the medium of a text such as the one under examination, vnlcss it is considerably SUPplemented by much pertinent material on the part of the instructor. Hints a t the ionic theory are very noticeably absent. Regardless of whether
the author doubts the validity of the theory or not, he is certainly missing an opportunity to use expressive language. Ionic terminology connotes many facts that are not implied when other language is employed. The "prose" form of writing a book on qualitative analysis is always ohjectionable. If the schemes of analysis proper were mitten in tabular form in the body of the hook, even though this were done by way of repetition in a more concise manner, it would a t least offerthe student some degree of relief and escape from the monotonous method of presentation. Awkward English is employed a t times. For instance, on page 33, we find this sentence: "The best course to fallow is always to test for arsenic the residue left after filtering the antimony and tin." On page 21 we find "supernatent" and on page 29 "oxichloride." From the standpoint of orthography these words are quite unorthodox. On page 37 there also appear "sulfocyanide" and "aluminum." Although there is no such thing among chemists as "official spelling," yet i t would be well if writers of texts would lean toward the official spelling of the American Chemical Society. Such expressions as "mercury ammonium chloride" and "silver ammonium chloride" and the ambiguous term "mercury chloride" are apt to jar the reader a little. On page 25 the following paragraph appears: "If the solution is made acid with nitric acid, the sulfides will re-dissolve as fast as they are formed.'' Again we encounter an page 88 a clause which runs thus: "may dissolve the precipitate of calcium carbonate as fast as i t is formed." In both these cases the author is probably trying to say that no precipitate forms under the existing conditions, but he resorts to linguistic monstrosities to do so. On page 25 we find: "The sulfides of the metals of Group I1 are insoluble in the hydrochloric solution, whiie the sulfides
of the metals of the succeeding groups are soluble and therefore do not precipitate." This is a very antiquated way of stating the case. Speaking in terms of the "solubility product" and "common ion effect" concepts would be more in keeping 'with modem expression. I n the test for antimony given on page 34 the author refers to the use of platinum as a "catalytic agent." It is rather "electrolytic" in its function, since it assists in the release of positive zinc ions from the -'Helmholtz double layer" at the surface of the zinc. The technic is bad in places. For instance, on page 22 the use of a beaker is prescribed where a test-tube would he more serviceable in the interest of economy. In the above criticism the reviewer has not mentioned all the weak points contained in this work, but referred t o only scattered "samples." To sum i t all up, the reviewer can see no place for this book in the hands of a novice pursuing a modern course in qualitative analysis. EDWARD X.ANDERSON
Rubber, The Five O'clock Tea, The Vanishing Vegetable Dyes, Camphor, The Potato, Bread Fruit, The Poppy, Tobacco, Cotton, and The Tree of the Leper. Quaint maps, decorated in the old style, add t o the pleasing appearance of the book. The references a t the end of the chapters are also of some value. Ifstimulating the imagination of a highschool student is desirable, and none denies that, then this book has a place in the high-school library. There is not a great deal of chemistry in it, although chemists must be interested in the story of logwood black. This dye, we are told, was first brought from tropical America and because of its merit a t once aroused opposition from the old-fashined dye workers of England. Actually during the reign of Queen Elizabeth a British law was -passed ordering that "whereas the clothes dyed with logwood are solde and uttered t o the great deceit of the Queenes loved subjects he it enacted by the Queene, our Soveraygn Ladie, that shall be openly all such Logwood. burned by the authorities." Indigo, too, had t o force out the inferior blue dye obtained from woad. Woad growers perCargoes and Harvests. DONALDCUL- suaded Henry IV of France to prevent noss PEATTIE. D. Appleton & Co., the use of indigo and t o get Emporer 1926. 311 pp. 13.25 X 20.5 cm. Rudolph to banish i t from Germany as 52.50. "a prejudicial, cheating, corrosive, deAs the publishers announce, this is a vouring and diabolical substance." The story of romantic exploration and the ad- penalty for possessing indigo was death, venturous discovery of those plants which dishonor, and confiscation of property. Had the author been a chemist he above all others figure in the existence of mankind. "The discovery and explora- would not have made the misleading tion of every day commodities has a statement on page 133 that "from camhistory as colorful as any romantic tale. phor is derived celluloid, which, combined with nitric acid, produces the Tea, cocoa, camphor, tobacco, and cotton have histories of difficulties, strife, in- modern high explosives." I n the Rubvention, famine, and exploration that make ber Chapter there was little or nothing said of vulcanization. But this is, after fascinating reading." These are large claims and yet they are all, a hook on plants and possibly we not without foundation. The author has should not ask for much, or for very indeed a lively imagination and uses it accurate chemistry. I n its awn field well as he writes chapters on Plant Power, the book has merit. The Spices of Ind, Quinine, The Age of HARRYN. HOLMES
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