have both been out of print for about ten years. The plates of the present edition have been made by a photographic process from those two earlier books, giving a beautifully clear print with, of course, absolute freedom from typographical error. The size of the page has been reduced from 6'16" X 931,' t o 5518" X 9" and the weight of the books appreciably lessened. There have hem no changes made in the subject matter, and little in its arrangement. Thus the first volume, as in the previous collection, contains the papers on thermodynamics, including the monograph "On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances" in which the phase rule is developed. As part one of the second volume we have the treatise on statistical mechanics and as part two the papers on dynamics, vector analysis, and light just as they appeared in the first edition. DONALDH. ANDREWS JonNS HOPEINS UNIVBP61TY BALIXUDRB. M A & ~ L A N D
Introduction to Qualitative Chemical Analysis. D. P. S ~ T HAssociate , Professor of Chemistry, Princeton University, and H. K. MILLER,Instructor of Physiological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. First edition. The McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York City, 1928. xii X 275 P P 31 figures. 14 X 20 cm. $2.25. The authors have attempted t o present two distinct courses of instruction in qualitative analysis and t o offer sufficient material in the form of laboratory procedures and theoretical discussion to cover thoroughly either of these courses. The first is so arranged that the student is cnnstantly engaged in making analyses, a t the beginning with simple alloys and later with more complex materials. I n this presentation great stress is placed upon preliminary examination of the solid material, the preparation of its solution, and particularly upon blow-pipe and other dry tests. The laboratory time for this course is esti-
mated t o be about 100 hours, or about 80 hours if the course is abridged as indicated in the outline. The second course of instruction is of niore conventional arrangement in which the unknowns are mostly in solution form and preliminary tpsts are greatly subordinated. The first course of instruction will doubtless offer greater appeal t o the student, but it too often happens that students look upon dry reactions as gifts from Heaven designed expressly t o rescue them from the evils of precipitation mcthods and, with this in mind, proceed t o spend twice the time on a simple unknown that would be required by starting almost a t once upon the systematic solution procedures. Nevertheless, some knowledge of blow-pipe work and other preliminary tests is desirable, and the excdlence of the arrangement of the subject material in this book lies in the fact that the two methods of instnlction can easily be combined in proportions and quantities t o suit almost any purpose. The systematic scheme for the analysis of the cations is excullent and has apparently been carefully worked out, although the authors admit that some of the procedures have been given with the idea of teaching chemical principles rather than of offering the best tests available. I n many cases auxiliary tests are given which serve t o increase the student's knowledge of the characteristic reactions of the elements. The more recent tests, such as the aluminon test for aluminum and Suihu and Okuma's test for magnesium, are included. For the acidic constituents, the authors rely almost entirely upon preliminary indications, group tests, and characteristic reactions of the individual ions. There is little or no attempt a t systematic separation of the anions. All the directions for the systematic procedures are mitten in tabular form to which are appended copious explanatory notes. Fuller theoretical explanations are given in Part I1 of the book which serves a t the same time as collateral reading
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RECENTBOOKS
matter and as a basis for classroom instruction. Here, again, the instructor can include or omit whatever sections he desires. Many instructors will not care t o include in a course in qualitative analysis such topics as the structure of the atom, radioactivity, and Werner's eo6rdination theory. Incidentally, the method of balancing equations as given on page 206, although perfectly logical, is cumbersome, for the application of change of valence can be made and clearly understood without the necessity of treating chemical equations like the simultaneous equations of algebra. Altogether, this book is thoroughly up-to-date, attractive in appearance, broad in its scope, and so flexible in its arrangement that it should satisfy the requirements in almost any method of presentation. It is especially recommended to those who wish t o present a course which not only teaches the fundamentals of qualitative analysis but a t the same time greatly broadens the student's knowledge of chemical principles.
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precipitates, degree of ionization, chemical equilibrium, ionic equilibrium, law of mass action, ionization constant, common ion effect, solubility product, fractional precipitation, hydrolysis, electron theory and oxidation and reduction are discussed. I n the remainder of the text, laboratory directions are given for cation and anion analysis. The cations have been divided into the usual groups and preceding each laboratory procedure there occurs a discussion of the group which includes many extra tests in addition t o the one listed in the regular scheme for analysis. Chemical reactions are given for many of these tests. Also, here and there in these d i r cussions occur additional theoretical discussions similar to those found in the intraduction but having special application a t the place a t which they are mentioned. Occasionally also tests having special application t o pharmacy and medicine are pointed out in these preliminary discussions. The laboratory procedures are followed by lists of review questions in the case of each of the cation groups. At the STEPHENG. SIMPSON end of the text occur the usual solubility table and list of reagents. MAss~cnuszrrsi~srrrurrrOP T ~ ~ a r o m o v C A M B R I D O R . MASS. I n the writer's opinion, Dr. Jordan may be said t o have accomplished both of his Qualitative Analysis for Students of Phar- purposes mentioned above. The book is macy and Medicine. CHAWESB. Ton- clearly the result of very careful, painstaking work. The introduction is perDAN, P ~ . c . , M.s., Dean of the school of haps the outstanding feature. Where Pharmacy and Professor of Pharmaceuother prominent chemists have failed, Dr. tical Chemistry. Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. McGraw-Hill Jordan has succeeded in discussing diffiRook Company, Inc., New York City, cult topics in a way that students will be 1928, First edition. viii 169 pp. able t o understand with a reasonable 8 tables and 1 figure. 14 X 20.4 cm. amount of application. The laboratory procedures are for the $2.50. most part clearly written and should be The purpose of the author in writing easily followed, and in most cases will e v e this book, as statedin the preface, has been excellent results. The amyl alcohal-ether to prepare a book which would be modern test for cobalt apparently is more satisin theory and which a t the same time factory than the old KNOe test used by would be capable of being applied in the author. No use is made of the s p e c pharmacy and medicine. troscope in groups four or five, although The introduction makes up the first flame tests are described. The procedures twenty-seven pages of the text and in are not accompanied by direct references these twenty-seven pages such topics as a t points a t which difficulties are especially solutions, colloidal suspensions, washing of likely t o be encountered, although they are
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