BOOK REVIEWS Some Chemical Problems of To-day. By ROBERTKESSEDY I > r - s c . ~ s . 254 pages, 34 Illustrations. KCTII-ork: Harper Sr Iirothers. I C ) I I . Price, 52 .oo. The eleven chapters composing this volume deal with many clircrie subjects, b u t always in the breez?- stl-le characteristic o f the author. The titles range from “The Beginning of Things,” or the Chaniberlin-Moulton planetesimal hypothesis, to “The Queqtion of the -ltom” and its constitution. Some are purely cheniical, and one describes the “Relation of the University of \\-isconsin to the State.” In the latter, the waJ-5 in irhich mcniliers of the r n i w r s i t y assist, oflicially, as experts. in the scientific drafting of legislatiw acts, and on the Railroad Commi5cion Trhich controls all the public utilities in the State, are set forth Trith gusto. The substitution of experts in finance, political science, and engineering, for the usual aggregation of saloc In-keepers and men who turn to polities because the?- caniiot make a living in an?- other line, is certainly an expel-iment \\-orthy of vide imitation. The fa\-orite themes of the author are seldom missing. “The Prize- 1 if Chemistry” calls attention to materials, like cobalt, tellurium silicon, soap-n-eed fibers, cull oranges and cocoanut husk-, which could be obtained in quantities, if on]>- some one \~oultldevise extensive uses for them. It summons chemists to the proc!uctiim of untarnishable silver, more resistant enamels, harmless b l e w h c ~ .soaps n-ith soluble calcium salts, and special glue.. The “Trend of Chemical Invention” s h o w the sorts of things that. judging from the patent records, seem a t present to he mo-t needed, and how the patentees think they have supplied the needs. Each subject yields its quota of problems for “research felliiws.” and the number of new fellowships reported shc~\vs that thc supply is responding satisfactorily to the tiemand. The chapter on “Bread” explains how the isolation .inti corinnercial production and use of the ferment of salt-rising l x e a t l haye heen brought about by onc felloir. and other prohlcnis in process of solution. Thr,rc ic much significance in the conclusions of the paper, “ O n the Relation l)et\rcen Chemistry and h n u f a c t u r e in Amcrica.” A l ninvestigation shoired that the xsearch chemists in -American factories, where they exist, are often badly selected in the first place, are frcquently ill-directed-being occasionally e\-c:i untlcr the irorks foreman-are under-paid (average pay SGo per month), and are often excluded from schemes of proniotii>n appl~-ingto other classes oi employees. The remark that ihe factory is a place Jrhere they make things, and that it n’ant- Irays of making neiv alloys. new glasses, and so forth, \ihiIe the training of the chemist has usually taught him only ho\\ t o analJ-ze things, is a distinct hit. .Is the authur says, “ t o c ~often the mcn appointed to the task are beaten before they bcgin. by their \-cry habits of thought.” The hook contains much t h a t n-ill be interesting and suggest i v e to t h chemist, as \Tell as a fund of information, and some thrills for the “intelligent reader” \rho is not a chemist. The csccllcnt illustrations \\-ill be of especial value to the latter. The author prohalliy ~ r o u l dnot put the manufacturer in either oi these elavcs, but ex-en thc employer irould benefit by glaneALELISDER SXITH. irig through its pages.
The Manufacture of Chemical Manures. By J. FRITSCH.Translated from the French by DOSALDGRAST with valuable notes by translator. 764 pages. Scott, Greenirood Sr Son, Lond i m . D. T-an Sostrand Company, N e w T o r k . Price, S+.oo net. Thi< Irork treats of the subject from the French standpoint
and is brought up to the English standpoint by the translator. Ti.hile there are many useful suggestions as to thc manufacture of fertilizers, the machinery is somcn-hat different from that used by American rnanufaciurers. T’aluable information is given as t o history ant1 origin of phosphoric acid in nature, the principal phosphate tle1iosits, drying and enrichment of phosphates. Superphosphate manufacture is revierred from 1350 to 1908 and the theory as \re11 as practice of manufacturing of soluble phosphates is treated a t length. Soluble phosphate being that portion soluble in IL-atcr and not Trhat is termed “available” in America, is soluble in Lvater plus that \\-hie13 is soluble in neutral citrate of ammonia. Grinding of the rock, acidulating, storing, dr>-ingand curing of the superphosphates are considered in detail. Valuable suggestions as to manufacture of phosphoric acid and double-superphosphate are given also. Nitrous manures are treatcd completely, ineluding waste materials, such as leathcr, hair, wool, cte., cyanamitle, nitrate of lime, sulfate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, hlood, horn, meat meal, peat and guanos. Potassic manures are adequately covered, including the Stassfurt salts as \re11 as the manufacture of potash salts from feldspar and other potassic minerals. Basic slag as to its origin and nature is considered. The chapter on the transference and handling of raw materials and finished products is very interesting and valuable reading. There are many d u a b l e tables of analysis, including those of phosphate rock, potash salts and nitrogenous manures. The book as a whole is a valuable contribution to the subject of commercial fertilizers. J. E. BRECRENRIDGE.
The Technical Analysis of Brass and the Non-ferrous Alloys. Wif. I3. PRICE. ~ S D R. K. MEADE. 267 pp. Iztno. John \Vile?. & Sons, Ne\r York. Price, s 2 . 0 0 . The book is dix-ided into three parts: the first git-es a general ticscription of the commercial non-ferrous alloys, the second gives general methods for the determination of the principal metkls, silica, sulphur and phosphorus, and the third part is special methods for particular alloys. The first part covers the subject as rvell as i t can be done in the w r y limited space. The tables of analyses give typical examples but, unfortunately, the authors do not state that these analyses arc merel>- typical and i t is liable t o confuse the reader irhen he finds two entirely different analyses of, for Tnstance, Delta metal. It should havc been clearly stated that each maker has his oivn formula for each alloy and that there is often considerable variation in the composition of any when made a t different times by the same concern, I i o methods of physical testing are included, which is unfortunate as they are often of more importance than the analyses. The second chapter of the introduction gives a description of the apparatus used in electrolytic analysis. The types described are good, the deseriptioni arc clear and they are well illustrated by simple line drawings. The second part takes up the elements commonly found in commercial alloys and, as a rule, gives gravimetric, volumetric and electrolytic methods for each. The descriptions are very complete except in one particular. The expression “strong acid” is used continually without any statement of what strength is meant by it. Strong is a purely relative term that is used with very different meanings. Most of the methods
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given are good. The authors do not mention the fact t h a t precipitates of the hydroxides, especially if precipitated by ammonia, are almost certain to contain silica, and often phosphoric acid, in sufficient quantity to cause serious error. Under lead they advise washing the precipitate of sulfate with a mixture of water, sulfuric acid and alcohol; this is apt to give high results as very few su1 ates are readily soluble in alcohol. The precipitate should first be washed free from sulfates with dilute sulfuric acid and, after this has drained off, with alcohol. For the volumetric determination of manganese they give the old Williams method apparently not knowing that it has been shown that it is incapable of giving correct results as the precipitate is not MnO, but a lower oxide. They also give the method of Metzger and McCrackan but do not give the Volhard method which most analysts have found the simplest, quickest and most accurate. They advise the use of aluminum for the reduction of iron but do not mention that commercial aluminum usually contains enough iron to cause a serious error. For zinc they give the Waring method which is the best; b u t in the presence of much manganese the sulfide separation must be repeated or the separation will not be complete. In the description of the volumetric method for zinc they do not lay enough stress on the necessity of keeping all conditions uniform. Variations in the temperature, acidity and amount of ammonium chloride present, all affect the end point. Except under very unusual conditions the precipitate is a double ferrocyanide of zinc and potassium and there is a whole series of these salts; any slight changes in conditions will cause an unexpected one to be formed. The third section of the book gives special methods for particular alloys. Except in the cases of copper and spelter no directions are given for sampling. For copper, two or three methods are given, but no preference is expressed and the reader is left in doubt as to which it is better to use. For spelter, the method described is very unsatisfactory; three slabs from a car load is not enough for a sample. Owing to the conditions of manufacture there is necessarily considerable variation in the composition of the slabs from a single cast a t one furnace. Not less than five slabs of high-grade or ten of common spelter should be taken. It is much better to saw the slabs than to drill them as the sawdust can be readily mixed and quartered while the drillings have to be cut up and then are difficult to mix. Larger amounts of material should be taken for analysis than are recommended for spelter. In high-grade spelters, which are largely used by the makers of alloys, there is often not over 0.02 per cent. of iron and 0.03 of lead, and to determine such small amounts with accuracy the sample should consist of ten to twenty grams. The method given for the separation of manganese and zinc in an aluminum alloy is not good as it has been repeatedly shown that when manganese is precipitated by an oxidizing agent the precipitate is very apt to retain zinc. I n many cases several methods are described for the same separation but there is no criticism of them, and the reader is left t o make his own selection without the benefit of the authors’ experience. The book will be found useful by those who have to make occasional analyses of alloys and also by those who are regularly
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Mar.,
1912
engaged in such work when they come across an alloy of a type with which they are not familiar. G. C. STONE.
Pure Foods. Their Adulteration, Nutritive Value and Cost. By JOHN C. OLSEN. Ginn 81 Co. 1911. 12x110. 2 1 0 pages, illustrated. $0.80. The author states in the preface that “this volume was not written to meet the needs of the technical chemist;” it is intended rather as an elementary text-book in food chemistry and for the public. As a book for the public it is better than the majority of “popular” books on food in that it is written by a man of scientific training and is not devoted to the exploitation of any fad or “diet system;” but the difficult problem of presenting food values and standards of purity with scientific accuracy in non-technical language is not fully solved. It must also be said that the volume is too slight a contribution t o be of much value for class work in any but the shortest courses and shows neither the exactness of statement nor the sense of proportion as to distribution of space, which is so desirable in an elementary text-book. Twice as much space is given to candies as to bread, cereals, and vegetables together; over four pages are devoted t o vanilla and tonka extracts, while less than one page is given to the manufacture and refining of sugar from beets and cane. As the book is not intended for the class of readers to whom this Journal goes, it is hardly appropriate to take space here t o point out specific statements which seem to the reviewer to stand in need of revision. The outlines of the manufacture of cacao products and of corn starch and corn syrup are good, and the author’s many professional friends will anticipate the appearance of a second edition in which the book as a whole is brought up to the standH. C. SHERMAN. ard of these chapters.
Plant Food. Its Sources, Conservation, Preparation and Application. By WM.H. BOWKER. pp. 52 Private publication. This small volume, as indicated by its title, presents a clear statement of the generally accepted ideas concerning the essential elements of plant food, their sources, preparation and use. It commences by outlining the needs of modern farming and the part which fertilizers play in the production of crops. The author describes a t some length the needs of plants, and more especially the three essential elements-nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. Nitrogen is considered of first importance for the reason that it is relatively the least abundant and, therfore, the most costly. “Insoluble” phosphoric acid is considered of little value, contrary to the advocates of ground phosphate rock. This is followed with several pages giving the usual practice in localities where fertilizers have been used longest and in largest quantities. The amount of fertilizers required for the principal cultivated crops is specified together wit9 notes on the preparation of the land, etc. The author concludes the volume with a chapter on “Commercial Valuations, and GovernF. B. CARPENTER. ment Regulations.”
N€W PUBLICATIONS
1
Librarian, Chemists’ Club, New York. B y D. D. BEROLZHEIMER.
Alloys, Copper and Brass, as well as all Technically Important NEW PUBLICATIONS. By DAVIDS. PRATT. ~ v o . , Copper-; their Manufacture, Characteristics, etc. By E. Acid Citric, Determination of-. 7 pp. U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry, CirJAPING A N D H. KRAUSE. 2nd Ed. 8Vo.j 213 PP. fr*m. cular 88. Vienna, 19I I . (German.)
