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hybridization involves a tendency to form bonds with “rhe greatest possible energy” is misleading. On page 89 the transuranic elements are first dealt with in some detail! and then it is said that’ they do not exist. This reIuctance to omit obsolete inforrllation turns up in other parts of the book. The statement of the second lan- of thermodynamics on page 92 is not intelligible t o the reriener. The descriptive part of the book is more successful. The main divisiolls are illto elements, halogen compounds, oxides of hydrogen and metals, compounds of sulfur, seleniunl, and tellurium; the nitrogen, phosphorus, and arsenic group; and elements of tile fourth group and boron. There are appendices. including a very useful short account of the lnain lattice types. This descriptive part is not free from errors. a few of n-hicli may be mentioned. On page 194 it is said t h a t ammonia is “extensively” dissociated into its elemelits a t 200”; on page 224 i t is stated t h a t hydrogen chloride is “readily” soluble in benzene; and on page 283pyridine is describedas an “amine.” On page 282 it is stated that there are no groups conferring D positive charge on a JTerner nucleus, whilst a n esnmple of one is given on page 297; on page 310 it is said t h a t there are no compounds of cobalt n-ith one neutral group i n the nucleus, whilst one is formulated on the opposite page: an11 on page 301 Co(OH)2 is said t o be the only simple compound of trivalent cobalt. On pages :35S and 368 6he compound OF still appears. The use of the names “hypiodous acid” and ’.hypiodite” seems objectionable, since the Greek prefix may belong t o either “hypo” or ”hyper.” Several names are incorrectly given, e.g., “JIoh’s” for ”llohs’,” “Losenty” for “Lorentz,” “Bodlander” for “Bodenstein,” “Hnrbold” for “Hubold”; and the translation is sometimes defective, as when “Austernschalen” is rendered as “oetracite shales” and (‘gute Leuchtsteine” as “the best minerals,” on page 536. Yellow tungstic acid is said to be b.colloidal” (page 510), and the statements that there is no direct evidence for the doubled formula for hyposulfurous acid (page 546), t h a t the copper hydride precipitated by hypophosphite is CuH2 (page 714), and t h a t silver peroxide is precipitated by persulfate (page 594) are incorrect. On page 563 H’ ions should read OH’ ions; the Cas04 in superphosphate is now regarded as anhydrous and not “gypsum” (page 722); and recent work contradicts the formulae of the metal carbonyls given on pages 793-4. The reviewer failed t o find any mention of the important vanadium pentoxide catalyst in the manufacture of sulfur trioxide. The references t o four figures given in the preface are all incorrect. The above examples are given with the object of directing the attention of the editors t o some defects in the book which can be removed by more careful attention to the text, and not with the object of presenting an unfavorable criticism of the book as a iyhole. I t is not easy t o keep such a large amount of detailed information as is presented in a completely accurate form, but some of the errors should be put right in a new edition. ~
J. R. PARTIXGTON. Lange’s Handbook o j Chemistry. SORBERT ADOLPHL . 4 S G E , Editor. 5th edition. 1777 pp. 271 pp. of mathematical tables (compiled by Richard Stevens Burlington) 25 pp. of index. Sandusky, Ohio: Handbook Publishers, Inc., 1944. Price: $6.00. The latest edition of this valuable handbook consists of 1777 pages of technical inforniation and data of interest t o chemists, chemical engineers, and physicists. llatheniatical tables and formulas make up a special appendix of 271 pages. The index of 26 pages is thorough and informative. The general arrangement and subject matter are largely t h a t of the fourth edition, but neu- tables and revisions have added 174 new pages An important revision is in the table of physical constants of organic compounds. This section now includes 6507 compounds with Beilstein references giren n here possible. iimong several nen’ features are a Periodic Chart by Prof. Deming, and additional information on plastics. Properties and limitations of plastics are of increasing interest. Other new tables in the fifth edition are entitled: “Flammable Liquids.” “Flame Temperatures.” “Fluorescence of Chemicals, inerals‘, and Gems,” and “Water for Industrial Use.” A large table entitled “Compos on and Physical Properties of Alloys” is distinguished by being one of the fern- tables for n-hich no references are given. Reference might have been made t o the S a t i o n a l Metals Handbook and the Cast .lfcfols Haiidbook. Carbon steel and
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gray iron are each given a single line, whereas these names are generic and include a rr-ide range of analyses and properties. I n contrast, a number of alloy steels of very similar analyses and properties are listed individually and n i t h trade names. The editor has had the assistance of a number of capable educators and technical inen in preparing the handbook. -111 are to be congratulated on the results of their work. The fifth edition, like earlier editions, has made available a niass of valuable material for the technical library. H. H . B A R B EASD R H. F. SCOBIE.
JT h e Total u)id Frce Energies of Forniatioiz of the G x i d e s o j Thirty-tito X e t a l s .
By MAL-RICE DEI
