lirhed by t h e Chemical Foundation. Inc., New York. 1926. Price 51.00. Thzo work eontinves t h e cffoxt ""dataken by t h e Chemical Poundation, in eo8permtion with t h e American Chemical Society, t o popularize chemistry in its relation t o our daily life, and splendidly supplements t h e first effort of the Foundation in publishing "Chemistry in Industry" The new volume "Chemistry in Agriculture," consisting of sixteen essays by prominent American agricultural chemists, bringn together a wenlfh of information. prerented for the morf part in simple non-technical language. of greet historical and educational value not only t o the chemist but t o the layman. It should serve a very useful pvrpore as collateral reading for high-school students, for students in courser in home eeonomicp, and for students in colleges offering special courses in the sciencen pertaining to agriculture. The editors have correlated the writings of the sixteen essayists with consummate skill and with a minimum amount of repetition. Where repetition has occurred, f a r example, m the discussion of vitamins by three of t h e authors, i t is neither tiresome nor uninteresting, as each author present. the matter from a slightly different viewpoint, which, for the young student and t h e casual reader without technical training, has drrtinct merit. Besides being a storehome of eonden9ed information, thin book in calculated to arowe intense interest in the inquiring mind of t h e young student of science, intriguing t h e imagination to a marLed degree. This is erpecially true of the chapters on "Crops and t h e Sotl," by Dr. Thatcher, "The World's Food Factory, m the Plant in Air and Light," by Dro. Arthur and Popp, "Soil Life," by Dr. Lipman.
and "Vitamins in Human and Animal Nutrition," by Prof. Dutcher. Thc rclatmn and the importance of chemical technology t o progressive and successful agriculture are forcefully set forth in several chapter., e.pedally in t h a e on "Where the Nitrogen comes From." by Dr. Curtir, "Cereals," by Dr. Bailey. "Sugnr nnd Sugar Crops," by Dr. Browne, and "Fermentation on the E'arm," by Dr. willillaman and Dr. Gonner. The statistical and hirtorical d a t a given are by autharitie. in their several l i n e of endeavor. they may be accepted without question, giving t o the volvme the character of s handv readv reference. The book is well-pnnted in 11-point type with 48 excellent illustr&ons. The splendid hslftones of such oianeerr in t h e field of amicultural ehemi=try as Dr. Samuel W. Johnson, Sir John Lawen, s i r Henry Gilbert, Dr. W. 0.Atwater. Dr. Henry P. Armsby. Dr. S. M. Babeoek. Dr. H.W. Wiley, and Dr. Cherlc, A. Goessmann add greatly t o it9 charm. The author., t h e editors, and the Chemical Foundation are t o be eonprardated upon the production of "Chemistry in Agriculture.'' W. W. SKINNSR
TO BE REYIEW!3D LATER Chemical Calculations-Jaffe. Graded Exercises in Chemistry-Mendel. Indvstrial Stoichiometry-Lewd Radaseh. Potentiometric Titrationr-Kolthoff & Fur"I3"
Eleetneal Precipitation-l.urldr. E l e c t ~ ~ iand t y Structure of Matte-Southernr. Chemistry to Ule Time of Dalton-llolmgeud
Whooping Cough Helped by Simple Remedy. That old reliable remedy, sodium bicarbonate, is now recommended in the treatment of whooping cough. Recent work a t the Kingston Avenue and the Kings County Hospital Laboratories, Brooklyn, N. Y., by Drs. J. C. Regan and Alexander Tolstouhov shows that this familiar bane of childhood is accompanied by a condition of severe acidosis which may bc counteracted by small repeated dosages of simple alkaline salts, such as sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, or magnesium oxide. I n patients treated by this method early or late in the disease, a cure is induced. Blood examination shows that the inorganic phosphorus content during whooping cough is lowered and the hydropen-ion concentration is meatlv . . increased. The alkaline doses hrinr, a t n u t n n p i d r e t u r n of t h r plm-phonlr to i t s normal proportion in the c o n t e n t of t h e blood and c o u n t r . m c t t h e 3cxlity. l'hrsr rhemic.ll chanacs in t h e hluod are nccompanied by pronounced improvement in the patients so that vomiting ceases, according to Dr. Regan, on an average within one week and whooping within two weeks. with ucrasmnnl v r w l n i a n * . l ' h r i m t i r n t , y r n ~ r = l l yshowed correcponding improvrment and increase in weib.ht. I t h:r, hcrn auggcitwl t h a t the characteristic symptom of vomiting in whooping cough is a compensating mechanism of the body to eliminate the excess a&d.-Science Service
