Recent Books Chemistry in the Service of Man. ALEXANDER FINDLAY, Professor of Chemistry. University of Aberdeen, Scotland, Fourth edition. Longmans, Green and Co., New York City. 1932. xviii 355 pp. 74 Figs. 12.5 X 18.5 cm. $2.50.
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illustrations are well chosen and for the most part well reproduced. The author has made a real contribution t o the library of popular chemistry. The book will serve either as a source of information to the inquiring reader or as a textbook in a brief cultural survey of modern chemistry and its contributions t o life.
The author's original publication under B. S. HOPKINS this title, issued in 1910, was based upon U m v s e s m ~OF ILLINOIS a series of lectures which were delivered URBAN*, ILLINOIS before the United Free Church College, Aberdeen. Their purpose was t o present The Law of Patentsfor Chemists. Joss~n in a non-technical fashion the general ROSWN, Ph.D., M.P.L., LL.B., B.S. principles of chemistry, ss well as its inin Chem. Eng., Patent Examiner, U. S. dustrial applications and its contribuPatent Office,Member of the Bar of the tions to the well-being and uplift of manU. S. Court of Customs and Patent Apkind. The fact that in the short period peals and the U. S. Supreme Court, of its existence four editions of this book Editor of the Journal of the Patent Ofice have been demanded is in itself unmisSodety. The Inventors Publishing takable evidence that the author has sucCompany, Washington, D. C., 1932. ceeded admirably in producing a book xi 304 pp. 21 X 14 cm. 83.50. which is attractive, accurate, and popular. - The present edition has been carefully eve^ research chemist who is not revised and brought down to date; many already well informed in patent law should illustrations have been added for the have a copy0f this book. purpose of assisting the reader to visualize The chemist is a prolific inventor. As the practical applications of chemistry. the author points out, the number of The introductory chapter summarizes a applications awaiting action in the eight few of the notions of alchemy and gives chemical divisions of the Patent Office a brief introduction to the fundamental on April 25, 1931, was 17,058 or aptheories of the modern science. There proximately 18% of all pending applicafallow chapters devoted to (11) Radio- tions. Swner or later, the successful reactivity and Atomic Structure; (111) search chemist finds that he should he inGases of the Atmosphere; (IV) Combus formed on the subject of patents and may tion and Fire; (V) Fuels and Illuminants; wonder that he was not given an intro(VI) Matter. Energy. Explosives; (VII) duction to the subject while in college. Cellulose; (VIII) Metals; (IX) Velocity The author presents the technical subof Reactions and Catalysis; (X) Ferti- ject of patent law in language which can h e r s ; (XI) Glass, Soda, Soap, and Lime; be comprehended by chemists without (XII) Electricity and Chemistry; (XIII) legal training. Colloids; (XIV) Molecular Structure; After discussing the value of patents (XV) Synthetic Chemistry; and (XVI) to chemists, the relative desirability of Fermentation and Enzymes. patenting an invention or practicing i t The hook is fully up to the high standard in secret, the effect of prior publication for which the author is noted. The lan- upon patentability, and several examguage is non-technical, the descriptions are ples of chemical patents, the author devivid, the style is fascinating and the votes considerable space t o the more 1135
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