careless, inaccurate habits of thinking and action, and for wasted opportunity, i t may well serve. These authors, like many others of us who teach quantitative analysis, believe deeply and sincerely that herein lies the great message of this branch of chemistry and that the discipline it affords is infinitely more than a necessary routine which is t o be endured and then thankfully dropped. And though the text may depart from perfection in many respects, this sincerity of purpose and labor of devotion ring true and brina a large measure of distinction.
The students who complete and understand the work included in this manual should be unusually well grounded in the fundamental principles of chemistry. Directions are terse and clear, and the figures are well drawn and clearly labeled. The discussion of acids, bases, and salts is an the traditional water-solution basis. A mare general treatment should be an improvement. LOTBOP SMITH
EXPERIMENTS IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY.H. W. Stone, Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, and M. S. Dunn, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of California a t Los Angeles. Second edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York City, 1935. x 285 pp. 30 figs. 20 X 27cm. 81.60.
A COURSE IN INORGANIC PREPARATIONS.William Edwards Henderson, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, The Ohio State University, and W. Conard Fernelius, Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, The Ohio State University. McGrawHill Book Company, Inc., New York City, 1935. xviii 188 pp. 24figs. 14 X 21cm. $2.50.
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The authors state that this manual, which has been developed This course of 116 exercises may constitute a part of the adover a period of twelve years, may be used with any standard textbook. They consider the experiments on chemical prin- vanced work of the college come or may be undertaken upon ciples as primarily designed to meet the needs of students major- entrance to graduate work. I n selecting the exercises, all unhas been avoided. The material is ing in chemistry or allied sciences, and the experiments on the usual and castlv. aooaratus .. application of chemical principles included as especially suited organired around definite methods of procedure. and the exercises illustrate variour types of suhrances. The steps are amplified to the requirements of students with cultural aims. Thirteen of the forty-three assignments involve a simple by a drrcursiun of princ~plcs. Tlwautharsstate that the material quantitative analysis, and eight a simple qualitative determina- presented has been in process of growth with many classes and tion. The authors believe that such types of experiment foster over a period of a good many years. The manual is divided into three parts: unbiased observation and increase interest in the laboratory Part I includes preparations illustrating general methods of work. Removable data and problem sheets are used in this edition, with the object of eliminating the conventional essay manipulation. This is divided into eight subdivisions, namely: type of report without reducing the amount of logical thinking crystallization; preparation of hydrated crystals; protection required of the student. The problem sheet for each assign- from the action of the air; double decomposition; distillation; ment usually contains from seven to twelve questions t o be sublimation; furnace methods; electrolytic processes. Part I1 is devoted t o preparations illustrating types of comanswered. The book is divided into seven parts, as follows: Part I . pounds, such as binary and intermetallic compounds, various General ExperimentsCas Burner. Glass Working, Properties kinds of salts, acids, dissociable compounds, etc. The action of of Substances, Melting Paint, Density. Temperature and Change water and of ammonia upon metallic salts, chlorides of the oxygen of Physical State, Effect of Concentration, Surface, and Tempera- acids, aluminothermic reduction, electrochemical replacement, ture on Rate of Reaction. Part 11. Atomic Theory. Weight transition points in salts, and metalla-organic compounds are :, Relationewater in a Hydrate, Percentage Composition, Com- also included. Part 111 takes up the colloidal state of matter and includes bining Ratio, Analysis and Formula Determination. Part 111. Atomic Theory. Volume RelatiansTemperature, Pressure, exercises designed to illustrate the following: modes of preparand Volume Relations of Gases, Gram Molecular Weight, Gram ing colloids; dialysis tests for colloids; gels; rhythmic bands; Molecular Volume, Equivalent Weight. Part IV. S o l u t i o n s crystal growth in gels: emulsions. As stated by the authors, the object in undertaking such a Influence of Temperature on Solubility, Fractional Crystallization, Ionization, Acids, Bases, and Salts, Mold and Normal series of preparations is twofold: (1) the acquisition of a certain Concentrations, Equivalent Weight of an Unknown Acid, Reversi- degree of skill in dealing with the dBculties that are encountered ble Reactions and Equilibria, Indicators. Ionization Constant. in the process of making pure compouads; and (2) the extension Part V. Oxidation and Reduction-Electromotive Series, and classification of information regarding types of compounds, Standardization of Potassium Pemanganate Solution, Equivalent acquaintance with the methods available in their preparation, Weight of Unknown Reducing Agent, Chemistry of Iron, Phato- and acquaintance with their chief reactions. This should inchemistry. Part VI. Chemical Principles and Their Practical clude familiarity with the colloidal state of matter which any ApplicationsGrouping of Elements According to Properties, material may assume. I t is the opinion of the reviewer that the authors have accomGas Analysis, Fractional Distillation (Petroleum Products), Preparation of Ethyl Alcohol, Percentage of Organic Acids in plished well what they set out toda. The exercises are clear and Vinegar, Softening Hard Water, Qualitative Analysis of Baking concise, the material is comprehensive, and there are adequate Powder, Carbon Dioxide in Baking Powder, Preparation of a references a t the end of each exercise. While the book is comSelected Nitrogen Compound, Preparation of Potassium Alum pact, it is not a recipe book, for the subject matter is logically from Soil, Qualitative Analysis of an Unknown, a Problem of arranged, and the fundamental principles of chemistry are thoroughly illustrated. Chemical Control or Manufacture. Part VII. Appendix"A Course in Inorganic Preparations" should meet with a Includes Reference Literature. Reagents and Apparatus, Graphic cordial reception. The authors and the publishers are t o be Representation, Laboratory Operations, First Aid. With the evident ohiect of stressine- chemical orincioles. . . the congratulated upon the excellence of the manual which they WILLIAM FOSTER authors have ornittcd must of the conventional expcrimrnts dcal- have provided for students of chemistry. ing with the properties of thc common elements. Duplication of PmNCBTON UNlYBRsITY material commouly presented by lecture is thereby avoidcd. P x w c m o w , Nsw Jsnssu ~~
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