bution to chemical education if they had limited their book to the description of the semimicro technic and of the various,reactions for cations and anions, and had referred the readei'to other tests for the theory. The charts for group analysis are clear and give in compact form all the necessary details. On pp. 124-136 an interesting and very helpful list of auxiliary tests for most of the usual cations is given. Recent progress in analytical chemistry seems to have been incorporated in the text wherever possible. A curious detail struck the reviewer: cations are always mentioned in the singular ("mercurous ion, Hg2++"as a suhtitle, and so forth), but anions, for some strange reason, are deemed worthy of the plural ("cyanide ions, CN-" as a subtitle, "CI- are present," and so forth!. This brings us to the subject of form, style, and presentation, but our review should then be extended to most of the contemporary scientific literature. PIERRE VANRYSSELBERGHE ST*N*ORD tiNIYBRSlTY STANPOPDU A I V E ~ I T CI\LIPO%NIA Y.
CHEMICAL KINETICS. Ehrringlofl Daniels, ~rof&sorof Chemistry in the University of Wisconsin. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 1938. viii 273 pp. 41 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $3.25.
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This book- is based on the George Fisher Baker lectures delivered by Professor Daniels a t Cornell University in the spring of 1935, with material added to bring the manuscript up to date, as of the beginning of 1937. I t is addressed primarily to the student who has a good foundation in physical chemistry, but who is without special knowledge in kinetics. For such a student the book should prove a good introduction t o the subject, and it should give him a reasonably accurate idea of its present state of development. Parts of the hook will also he of considerable interest to workers in the field. The books starts out with a review of general principles, including the definition of the order of a reaction and a discussion of the Arrheuius principle. I t then goes on with a qualitative d i s cussion of unimolecular reactions, including both simple reactions and chain reactions, these principles being illustrated in the next chapter by some specific examples. Next, there is a brief account of the kinetics of reaction in solution, followed by a fairlv detailed chanter on nbotochemistrv. There is a brief chaptcr on clcctricnl activatinn. In a chapter on infra-red spectroscopy the author presentsa subject which is related to chrmicsl kinetics and which may play a more important r6le in its future development. Then comes a perhaps too brief presentation of the theoretical calculation of activation energies, including a rather incomplete account of the statistical mechanical calculation of absolute reaction velocities. The book closes with an interesting account of the use of isotones to trace reaction mechanisms. In general, the nuthor's method is to present furt the theoretical aspects of any given subject and to illustrate the ideas thus drvrluprd by m a n s of specific examples. In the thcorericnl parts of the hook general ideas are stressed rather than quantitative calculations. These portions should be helpful to students who wish to gain a general knowledge of the subject, or wish an introduction before entering into more detailed calculations. The reviewer should, however, note that he is not in complete accord with all of the theoretical treatment. and believes that in the attcrnpt to oversimplify, some erroneous stntemcnts have rrcpt HI \Vhile these may be mislcnding at times, they do not detract greatly from the value of the hook as a whole. The examples which are used for illustrative material are drawn chiefly from the work of the author and his students and fonner students. This is true to some extent of the material selected for theoretical discussion also. However, this is part of the purpose of the Baker lectures; as stated in the introduction, the lecturer "is not only permitted hut expected to talk chietly about his own work." While this necessarily causes a certain lack of balance in the presentation, so much of value has come out of the Wisconsili laboratory that the author's colleagues will welcome the presentation of this material. Experimental methods ~
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and descriptions of the apparatus used are often given in considerable detail, and these sections will be of direct value to the research worker, while a t the same time giving the beginner an idea of the technic used in investigations in kinetics. The reviewer nates with interest that a number of biological systems are discussed in more or less detail. These discussions will serve to indicate the growing importance of kinetic studies to biochemistry. From this account it will be seen that the volume under review has features that will interest a variety of readers. There are relatively few hooks in the rapidly growing field of chemical kinetics, and this one fills a place which is occupied by none of the others. 0.K. RICE UNIVERSITY OR NOR== CAROLXNA
CIA==' HILL,N o n r ~CAROL~NA
LABORATORY METHODSOF PHYSICAL CHEMISTKY. Joseph I. Jasper, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Wayne University. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. Massachusetts. 1938. xix 312 pp. 35 figs. 14.5 X 22 cm. $2.50.
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This b w k piesents a series of experiments for use in a physical chemistry laboratory course and accompanies each experiment with a discussion of the theoretical principles involved. The topics covered are gases. Liquids, optico-chemical methods, solutions, colloidal systems. thermocbemistry, homogeneous equilibrium, chemical kinetics, phase equilibrium in chemical systems, conductance, transference numbers, electromotive force, and photochemistry. An excellent discussion of the theory pertaining to each topic is given before the directions for performing the experiment. The student is encouraged to examine the results in the light of known erran and to keep experimental errors'as low as possible. After the description of how t o pelform each experiment a paragraph is headed "Treatment of Results." The author has succeeded very well in encouraging a study and interpretation of the results. The aim throughout is to stimulate the student t o think about further applications and develop a research feeline. - The book is more than a mere lahoratorv manual and deservcs consideration hy teachrrs and btudcnts intcrcrted in phyrical chemistry. It should hc a very ruccrssful book in any ~,hysicalchemistry course.
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ITS RISE AND DEVELOPMENT. BRITISH CHEMICALIND~STRY: Sir Gilbert T. Morgan and David Doig Pralt. Longmans, Green and Company, New York City, 1938. xii 387 pp. 78 figs. 18.5 X 24.5 m. $8.25.
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This book incornrates the substance of a series of Puhlic Lec~~
turns delivered at the University College of \Vales. The purpone of the authors is to providc a comprrhcnsive survey of the dc-
rrlopmrnt of the llritish chemical industry from its early beginnings to its present state. The summary is arranged so that each chemical manufacture is grouped, as far as possible, with the naturally occurring raw material upon which it depends. For example, the first chapter which is entitled Salt, includes the alkali industries as well as hydrochloric acid, chlorine, and its derivatives. Subsequent chapters deal with the following raw materials: sulfur; sand, clay, and limestone; air and industrial gases; metalliferous ores; borax and phosphates; oils, fats, and waxes; cellulose; coal; oil shale and petroleum; rubber. Additional chapters are devoted to the following subjects: paints and pigments; explosives; dyestuffs and intermediates; plastics; industrial solvents; fine chemicals. I n addition to the historical review of each industry the hook contains detailed descriptions of the latest manufacturing processes, in many cases presenting equations showing the chemical reactions involved, photographs and drawings of special equipment, and charts illustrating the steps leading from the raw materials to the various manufactured products. The chapter on dyestuffs and intermediates is particularly complete; with stmc-
