quote literary critics, professors of rhetoric, and literate scientists in amplification of their own discussion. Much as the reviewer detests wall mottoes, and much as he should therefore hesitate to inflict them uDon others, he would like to oost a iudicious selection of quotations on the study walls of many contributors to scientific journals. A few samples are presented here. Adams Sherman Hill,' professor of rhetoric a t Harvard University from 1876-1904 and afterward professor emeritus, gives the three following rules for good writing:
own copy and hopes in consequence to lead a better literary life hereafter. OTTOR E ~ ~ J T H THENEXTHUNDRED YEARS. C. C. Furnns, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Yale University. The Williams & Wilkins Company. Baltimore, 1936. xiv 434 pp. 14 X 21.5 cm. $3.00.
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After visiting "The Century of Progress" the author decided to write a hook on what we do not know in science. This hook "is fundamentally interested in the discoveries yet unmade, the developments not completed, the things that must still he done before we can advance to any marked degree." The subject is discussed under the five headings of hiology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and social consequences. "In a plant that manufactures its own food, the carbon dioxide is taken in principally through the leaves and the water is sucked in principally through the roots. These two chemicals get together by simple diffusional processes and in the presence of light and chlorophyll they unite to form the familiar compound, farmaldehyde. . .So far, nature is ahead of men in this photosynAnatole Francea writes: thesis game and has the best catalyst on the market." A simple style is like white light. I t is complex, but not to outward seem"The common cold costs o w nation two billion dollars per year. ing. In language a beautiful and desirable simplicity is but an appearnee, The productive time lost hecanse of colds amounts to about 100 order and sovereien economy of the various nnd i t resvlts onlv from the eood million working days per year." parts of speech 6.53). "The Eskimo is said to be shorter-lived than most races. He Concerning "proper repetition," Clifford Allhutt8 is quoted. ages very rapidly and often becomes an old man a t fifty. Perham this is due to overworked kidneys because of the hieh nro=~ A nation is oreaslent that the renetition of a leadin..word or words in a tein d m , perhaps it is caused by t h e severc dimate The strict scntcnce or short period constitutes nn offense called "fautology." In this false sense of tautolow the mathematician might incur censure for the vegetarian on the uthcr hard, is generally considered to have less repetition of symbols in an equation. If the word first accepted be precisely resiannre to infections. .with accompanying weakcned digestive the word wanted, to vary it is to vary the sense, to confuse the argument. organs and a tendency toward diarrhea." and to vex the reader (p. 63). "A century and a half ago a sixty-year old American living in Regarding the misuse of "cases" and "instances" Fawler%says: Massachusetts had an expectancy of life of almost fifteen yean. Now, the sixty-year old male resident of Massachusetts has an expectancy of only a little more than fourteen years." "Long ago quarantines entered politics. Idaho is very proud of the fact that it can raise apples in certain spots; but Washington also raises apples and wants to sell them everywhere, including Idaho. The sovereign rights of the states are not broad enough to enable Idaho to put up a state tariff against Washingnot avail: the,. murt rend their heart and not their garments and ieam to ton apples; but there is nothing to prevent the imposition of a write directly instead of in periphrasis (p. 69). quarantine." I n further illustration of the unnecessary use of "cases" (and. qayon has hecome a reasonably but we may add, as a pointed argument for economy of expression) it has never been good enough to send silk off the market. I n the following original and edited passages are presented: America, a t any rate, silk consumption has gone up during all the ascendancy of rayon." In the great majority of earea where coal exists hut has not bcen found to "In *OSt honepowered of eras we have made hut two quality, thickness, or seeerbe workable i t l a e b one of three things-ither rihitity. fundamental advances over primitive man. We have invented Most unwarknble coals are deficient in quality, thickness, or aeecssibilit~ the steam engine and the water wheel. We still depend upon (P. 70). the methods of a very temperamental and insufficient terrestrial nature to supply our demands far calories and B.T.U.'s." Other bugbears of the editor are discussed-among them: has never an.American light car that was "along these lines," "former" and "latter," "a number." "this" with an eye for the best possible quality; hut there is no reason and "these," "like" and "such as," "due" and "owing." for this except the whims of the market. The light car has alThe section on "Grammatical errors and problems" (PP. 9 W ways the car. we Americans seem to buy the offers much sound counsel and is adequately illustrated by expound rather than hy mileage,,, amples. "The farm is a vast organic chemical factory; but there are "Tmographic style" (PP. 103-11). "Correction of proof" people who still judge the time for the phases of the (PP. 1124). and "Directions to tmists" (PP. 117-20) are in moon, For that matter, there are those who feel that the sslvapart specific to geological subject matter and to the Style Manual tion of agriculture resides in politics instead science and engiof the Government Printing Ofice, but also contain much generally neering,,, applicable advice. WCT~DER D.BANCROPT I n all humility the reviewer recommends this inexpensive pamphlet to authors. He intends to make constant use of his ~~$"~~&N
1. The rule of prcdsion: Of two form* of expression which may be used in the same sense that one should be ehooen which is surceptible of but one interpretation. Observance of this rule tends to give each word a meaning of its own. 2. The rvle ofsimplicify: Of two forms of expression which may be used in the same sense the simpler should be ehosm. The simplera word or phrase the more likely it ir to be understood, and simplicity in language, like rimplicity in dress or maonem, belongs to the best society. 3. The rule of euphony: Of two forms of expression which may be used io the same sense thatone should oe chosen which is the more agreeable to the ear. I t is of eovrse wrong to give undue weight to coo.iderafions of euphony, but when no sacrifice is involved i t is desirable t o avoid an erprer sion that ir vnurually difficult to pronounce or to substitute for an extremely disagreeable word one that is agreeable to the ear (p. 52).
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S., "The principles of rhetoric," pp. 18-22, 1895. FRANCE,ANATOLE, "On life and letters," trans. by A. W. EVANS,1914. ALLBUTT, CLIFFORD,"Notes on the com~ositionof scientific papers," 2nd ed., 1923, pp. 127-8. 4 FOWLER,H. W., "A dictionary of modem English usage;' pp. 54, 277. 1930. 1 HILL,A.
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CKEMICAL ANALYSIS. Louis A BRIEFCOURSEIN QUALITATIVE 3. Curtmen, Professor of Chemistry, College of the City of NW York. The Macmillan Company, New York City, 1936. viii 249 pp. 13 figs. 15 X 22 cm. $2.25.
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I n the preface the author states that "this hook contains com-
