comprehensive treatment of sigma and pi bonds and hyhrid orbitals. On the whole the new edition of Lee and Van Orden appears to be thorough and "teachable." CARLR. MELOY Grand Valley State College Allendale, Michigan
Elements of Chemistry
Antoine Lavoisier. Translated by Robert Kew, with a new introduction by Douglas McKie, University College, London. Dover Publicat,ions, Inc., New York, 1965. m i l 511 pp. Figs. and tables. 14 X 21.5 cm. Paperbound. $3.
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To most readers of THIS JOURNAL, the importance of Lmoisier's "Elements of Chemistry" (Trait6 fil6mentaire de Chimie, pres6nt6 d m s un Ordre Nouveau et d'aprh les DCcouvertes Modernes) in the history of chemistry is unquestioned. The publication of a paperhack reprint in facsimile of the first English edition would of course be welcomed. The publication of sueh an important work, however, with a full Introduction by the distinguished Lsvoisier scholar, Professor Douglas MeKie, merits a special accolade from all teachers of the history of chemistry. This facsimile edition is that of the first English translation prepared by Robert K e n , and published in 1790, one year after the original French edition. Kerr's translation follows verv closelv the French text with I I W txrept .;, of crrtkirl miwr changes i l k tal,lt.~nl~irlntw made i u onlrr t u f t r i l e latter into the hglisll smlrm of meaiuwment and notation. This volume is a welcome addition to university libraries and should he a t least the one piece of original historical materid required to be read by all students of ehemistly. The "Elements" was first published in Paris in 178%--a time marking many revolutionary changes in government, religion, and science. I t has been said that in this volume, Lavoisier did for chemistry what Newton had done for physics with the publication of his "Principia" a century earlier. The "Elements" a a s the first chemical textbook written with the new ehemistrv as its foundation. The "Elernems," whllr srirtru olrnort 201)yr.nr.;nro is a modern cltrml;try trubook. .\ nmdern student of chemistry might read s. textbook on chemistry published only two or three years before the "Elements" and it would probably seem t o him st,renge and almost incomprehensible. This would not be so upon reading Lavoisier's "Elements." A student of today would feel perfectly a t home with the language and the discussion of underlying principles. Professor INcKie's Introduction is more than just this. I t is a thorough discussion of the place of Lavoisier in the history of chemistry and contains a short but detailed story of Lavoisier's life and work, espeeiallv thenlace of "Elements of Chemistrv" ~~~
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tl~ctranslaror,ir* wrll il, bihli~.~ru~rl.i~xlin- The basis for Professor Hartmanns' formarion about the various b:nglish rditreatment of the subject is a series of three lectures given a t Frankfurt in 1955 and tions. His style is clear and concise, and published as a first edition. The favorreading the Introduction will set the stage able reception of this edition prompted the for a thorough enjoyment and undersecond in 1963 with the same theme, and, standing of the text. A study of the whole as the author states, "essentidly unvolume should furnish satisfaction in folchanged" from the 1955 edition. I n lowine a t first hand the thinkins~. of one of t h ~ g w a lt ~ ~ ~ l u l 1101 i ~ only n i ~ in the ~ ~his, actuality, there are changes and others t u n of chrmi>try, but i n the ltisrory of could have been profitably incorporated, ............ especially in the f i s t lecture. The matheThe Oover Press is to be r o n p m l l a t ~ d matical rigor has been balanced with irr mokiur, nvailxlrlr thii fine edition uf simplifications leading to "nnderstandLav
