NEW BOOKS
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cells and electrometric pH determination; adsorption-the colloidal state; membrane equilibrium; equilibria in blood; reaction velocity and enzyme action; oxidationreduction potentials-phase boundary of potentials; electrokinetic phenomena; transformation of energy. The book is essentially orthodox. Distrubing facts are ignored conscientiously and effectively. No reference is made anywhere t o the effect of solubility on partial pressures, as in the case of ether and water and consequently there is no reference t o the absence of any solubility term in the so-called Raoult formula. All proteins combine stoichiometrically with hydrogen chloride and albumin forms true solutions in water, p. 116. WILDERD. BANCROFT.
Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie. 8 Auflage. Herausgegeben von der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft. System Nummer 59. Eisen. Teil A. Lieferung 4. 26 x 18 om.; pp. 587-846. Berlin: Verlag Chemie, 1932. Price 41 Marks (Subscription Price 35.50 Marks). This volume, written by Prof. Durrer of the Technische Hochschule, Charlottenburg, is a continuation of Lieferung A3, will be completed b y Lieferung A4, and deals with the metallurgy of iron. I t contains accounts of the puddling process, the Bessemer, Thomas and other Open-Hearth processes, electric furnace methods, and several minor processes. The references to the literature are very complete, including European and American publications, and there are numerous curves and illustrations of plant. The actual text is relatively meagre, most of the space being taken up by literature references, and numerical data, so that the volume is essentially intended for readers who have a good library available. I t cannot replace the usual works on ferrous metallurgy, since the descriptions are far too sketchy to be of any particular value in themselves. It would seem that by branching off into chemical technology the editors of Gmelin have rather departed from the intention of the work, and if other parts of the subject are to be treated on the applied side in the same way as in the present volume, the result will be somewhat disappointing. J. R. PARTINOTON. Eisen- und Stahllegierungen Patentsammlung. Zugleich Anhang w r Metallurgie des Eisens in Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie. By A. GRUTZNER. 26 x 18 cm. ;pp. 308. Berlin: Verlag Chemie, 1932. Price 32 Marks. This volume, which is an appendix t o the sections on iron and steel in Gmelin’s Handbuch, consists entirely of references t o patents, with brief statements of the contents, arranged in tabular form according to the chemical composition of the systems. The patents cover the period 1880 to 1932 and various countries, and there are 7000 references. There is no doubt that such a work will save a n enormous amount of time and labour and the price must be considered reasonable. It should be in all technical libraries, J. R. PARTINOTON. T h e Sorption of Gases and Vapours by Solids. By J. W. MCBAIN. 23 x 14 cm.; pp. xii 577. London: Geo. Routledge and Sons, 1932. Price 25 shillings net. The group of rather heterogeneous phenomena known as the sorption of gases and vapours b y solids has been the subject of a great number of experimental and theoretical investigations, and has acquired a n extensive and scattered literature. In view of the great general interest of the subject, a book merely giving a classified survey of the material and literature references would in itself be of appreciable
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