Recent Books A Brief Outline of the History of Science. J. G. F. D ~ u c s M.Sc. , The Chemical News, Ltd., Merton House, Salisbury Square, E. C., London. First edition. 1925. 141pp. 11.2 X 18.5cm. $1.00. ~h~ sciences occupy much attention in the schools and rolleges in these days. preference seems to be held for general science and not any particular science, hut whatever the thought may be there isny any question but that a concise, reliable cowse on the history of science,
in general, will add mt,ch to a school or college curriculum. deeply ~h~ writer in the above publication by Dr. J. G. F. Druce, of London, who is a student of science in a broad sense, an investigator, writer. T~~ favorable and a impression that the author of these lines received as to the excellence of the little book has prompted him to invite the to it. attention of other science ~~~h~~ of science subjects will find it ~h~~~ are more treatises on the history of science, but where something concise and accurate in r e ~ a r dto i t is sought the present volume will prove most satisfactory and is bound to win high favor.
purpose but have been, nevertheless, an evil influence. This has not been true of science handbooks. The difference is a fundamental one. The engineering handbook contains a great many empirical formulas which are useful only within a n u o w range. The engineering student is taught to accept, without question, many statements in the handbook; therefore, heoftenextends the use of a formula far beyond its intended field. Sudden and certain disaster results. The science handbook, on the 0th- hand, attempts to stick to scientific facts. It only approaches this ideal, but the results are Satisfactory.
The of and Physics," by C. D. Hodgman and Norbert A. Lange, is the outstanding science qf The mere fact that it Of both and physical properties makes i t of unique value t o the chemist and the chemical engineer. It is well known that chemistry today includes the major part of physics. The combination of data in a handbook is a and necessary A he it must be a convenient and ready reference. I n this respect it does not compete with Washburn's famous "Critical EDGAR F, SMITH Tables." The accuracy of the data is Handbook of Chemistry and physics. excellent and the selection of data is esCHAFZES D. HODGMAN, M.S., associate pecially good for the average student. professor of physics a t Case school of I n brief, this book has the hearty Applied S c i e n c e , a n d N o n ~ s ~ ~ A . L Arecommendation ~~~, not only of the renewer Ph.D., assistant professor of organic but of thousands of other readers. chemistry a t Case School of Applied D. B. K m ~ s Science. Twelfth edition. Chemical LaboratoryManual of Inorganic Chemistry and Elementarg Analysis. Rubber Publishing Co., Cleveland, Ohio. 1927. xi 111% PP. 16.85 X C, C, HsDGEs AND H. R. BRAWON, ll.10 $5'00. price to Agricultural and Mechanical College of students, $2.50. Texas. D. C. Heath and Co., New It is more or less conceded that enpiYork. First edition. 1927. 233 DD. neering handbooks have served their 16 X 22.7 em. $2.50.
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As indicated in the title and preface, this manual is designed for a college course which combines general chemistry with qualitative analysis, involving three t o five hours per week of laboratory work and extending over a threeterm college session. The large number of such manuals already in print induces a reviewer t o l w k for new ar unusual features, either as t o choice of material or its presentation. The book is divided into three parts: Part I, which is devoted to the general principles of chemistry; Part 11, entitled "Elementary Qualitative Analysis," which deals with the reactions of the ardinary metallic ions; and Part 111 which embodies the accepted procedures for the separation and identification of both metallic ions and acid radicals. Some features of the book deserve special mention. (1) It involves the "start-stop" method of laboratory instruction in which the instructor explains the experiment immediately after i t has been performed by the class. I n the reviewer's opinion this method retards and discourages the superior student, though i t no doubt benefits the slow or mediocre student by doing much of his thinking for him. On the otherhand, it affords an opportunity t o stress certain points which might athenvise go unnoticed. (2) The exercises in Part I are printed on Perforated gummed sheets. to be detached by the student and pasted in a permanent notebook. This eliminates useless copying of procedures and the specific questions an each experiment, t o be answered by the student, makes the grading of laboratory notebooks simple and intelligent. Part I1 is interleaved with blank sheets for laboratory quiz purposes. The qualitative analysis blanks in Part 111 insure uniformity and directness in reporting the results of unknowns. (3) The pointedness of the experiments is very striking; and the tabular method of arranging data helps to drive home the fundamental principles. One is, however, struck by the total
absence of illustrative figures. This lack is offset by directions of unusual clarity, as is illustrated by the experiment an the density or molecular weight of oxygen on page 30. A large number of thought questions and problems far practice are included in the Appendix. The optional experiments on the analysis of soap, vegetable oils, urinalysis, electroplating, etc., while interesting as lecture demonstrations perhaps, seem of doubtful value as laboratory experiments in a course of this scope where the available time is often limited. The equations listed on pages 178-96 are valuable for their sequence, but would be more valuable t o the student if they had been lGft t o him t o balance. As a rule, students do not get enough practice in the balancing of equations. The uncertain cobalt-aluminate test for aluminum is retained; the authors have, on the other hand, included such ~ositivetests as the dimethylglyoxime test for nickel and the nitrosa-beta-naphthol test for cobalt. Typographically the baok is well-nigh pelfeet; but it deserves a better hinding than the poor cardboard cover in which it has made its first appearance. By reason of its flexibility of adaptation and its plan which eliminates much of the drudgery of paper work for both instructor and student and thus renders the work more thorough and intensive, this manual deserves commendation. T.F. B u s ~ ~ e n The Making of a Chemical, a Guide to Works Practice. E. I. LEWIS, M.A. (Cantab.). B.Sc. (Lond.), and GEORGE KING, M . S . B m , F.I.C. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1927. x 270 pages. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. 27 figs. 54.00 net.
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This baok is an attempt t o give the reader an insight into works practice and works conditions with special reference to the chemical industries. At the same time the underlying principles and the economic aspect are presented in such a way that they could equally well be
