NEW BOOKS Theoretische Chemie vom Standpunkte der Avogadro'schen Regel und der -roiitf L d i f o t i . 16 x z j (-?)I p / ) . .I-: 2' Thermodynamik. fij, lKr/f!/ear A\Zi.ii.if. 9s. --The old clas4fication lias lieeii t i i i d io-?, Stuff~~~(:.tr;.t : Ferif ;iitiizif E i / k e . follo\\-ed pr:ictically \\-itlioul changv, the only alterations k i n g the insertion ot' a cliapter oii metals and iiietallic alloys and the splittiiig u p of rlectroclieiiiistrj iiito three cliapters. The ptrticnlar :irraiigeiiieiit aclopte0 liei-e \vas iiitej-ehtiiig i t i the first etlitioii as a brave though sotriewliat iinsuccessful atteiiipt to pre-eiit t h e irliole field of pli!4cal rlieriiist i i i a logical iiiaiiiier i n one voluine. Oiit. herions ohjection to tlie original cla ficatioii \viis that a large iiuiiiber of plieiioirieiia appeared tit-ice. It is 1-er uiisati,sfactory to fiiitl tliat i n five )-t.ar> Seriist Iias made no rea1 progress. I n fact it woultl hardly I)e too iiiucli to s;i! tliat lie h,is gone l)acl;\vartl. 111 t h e first etlitioii he put tlie ~iliaserule i i i the ~ v r o r i gpart of the hook : hul. at that titlie. there \vas tlie exciise of ignorance f i ~ r such a mistake. The riiistahe ha; I j e e i i repeated i n t h e secoii(1 etlitioi~.ant1 ;in attack is iiiacle 011 Roozelmoiri for stating that tlie phase rule ( i f f e r s the tJe5t basis f u r a classification. To this Seriist ~ r i a k e st h e extr,ioi-iliii;trj. rel)l!. t h a t the phase rule says ~iotliiiigaliont pul!-\-ai-iaiit systems a i i i l tliat the I . i n ( l the tlieoreiii of v a n ' t Hoff are iiiucli iiiore iinportaiit t11,iii the pli T l i i h coilfiriris t h e general iiiipressioii alreally o1)taiiietI tliat tlie i u i i c Irincipleh of a good cl ificatioii tlo iiot appeal to Sern5t. Tlie 1)e.iuty of tlir rule is that. thougli qiialitati\-e. it is aliwlute aiitl :ipl)lie\ to ever!. c a ~ ei ~ t equililiriiiiii, iiiclutliiig the p l y v a r i a n t hysteiii.,. I t is tliercforr tlie i'rcciriei\o r k on \vliich e \ - e r ~ t I i i i ii g i i u s t rest. \171iether the priiriary e:11i;ilogy, ?le c-oiiip:ires the rAlr of the phase rule i i i pliyhiral clieiliiitr!. L ( J t l i a t of tlie latl- 01' tlie ciliieervatioti uf 111 i i i general clieinistry. 'The t\\-O Ii;i\.e tlie c c i i i i 1 I i o i ~ characteristic of tieing icily true : h u t , i n wrne ~va!.s. i t \ v o u l t l 1iai.e ljetli iiiore accurate to h a v e cornpretl the position of the phase rule i n l)!i!,siv,il clieiiiistry with tliat of the periodic .tern in inorganic c]ieiiii\try, I.
The stconti e litioti contains only alioiit oiie liiuntlretl p g e s more than the firit edition. so that it i i evident that tlie author has devoted himself energetically to the task of coinpressing the ne\\- tilaterial that has accumulated iu such quantities i n the past five years. Ynfortunately i t appears t h a t there has lieeii quite as much oinissi:in ab conipression. Giving referelices to all tlie more iniportatit papers oii a n y s a h j e c t does not necessarily involve a tiiscussion of tlie articles ant1 is of great assistance to those ~t-liorely 011 the text-hooks to fi11t1 out what has or lias not heen accmiplishetl. This volume of S e r n s t ' s will not l)e very serviceable to such people. Taking merely the oiie subject of reaction velocity as typical, there are 110 references to 1,oiig's \vork on the catalytic action of salts : to (le H e i n p t i n n e ' i paper oii the c:italTsis of esters ; t o t h e tleconiposition of diazo coinpoiiiids studietl h y Hausser mid JIuller ; to tlie change of iiieta1)hosphoricinto ortliopliosplioric acicl , Sxljatier : to the cliaiige of syiial(1osiriie~ into antialdosirnes (I,?) t o TVagiier's tvork o n t h e awitlosulfonic acit!s : to Trevor and Kortright'i tho4 of follo\\-ing the reaction \-elwit!- l)>-tnea~isof tlie l)oiIi~ig-poirit; to tlie \\-ark of Icastle, 11urrill anti Frazer : to the papers of Petersell, Tafel. 13urcliartl. C;eiiiiari, Haiit/.scli a i i t l 3Iiolati. Moro, Scli\vicker. and Storch. not to tiieiitioii others. The \vork of Carrara on the effect uf tlie solveil t h s lxeii overlooketl. JIost of the iriistakei in tlie first e,litio,i are to h e fouiirl iii the st.collfl. 'tire on t h e electrornotive force of the Cliirk cell is ignoreil ; tlie 1Ii:iss la\\- to the case of liytlrates i i i wlutioii is repriiiteil xvithout c1i:mge : there is iiotliiiig to s l i o \ v that the tlistrihution la\v c;ilintJt apply rigi(1Iy \rlieii tlie tliirtl coiiiponeiit is a liquid. I n vim\- of t h e extra space accortle~lto electriiclieriii.;try, it is a little surprising to finti iio tliscussion of the calomel electrotle. .Icareful ,,tutly of tlie Iiool; \\-ill make it plain that the revision has lieeii a pert'uiictory one, that it x i s a task to lie got tlirougli with. :inti that consequently the volume tloei not represent atlequate1J- tlie preseiit state of the science. lL*i/der11. /;:ti irci-o/r Physical Chemistry for Beginners. l ; j , 01. i ~ t z i r / l m e i r f r r . Tizii.Tlnfc. n i i d .Coiis. i.Ppp. Price : riofh $i.jo. The Geririan etlitioii has lieen revievet1 in this Jouriial ( I, 671 I . The work o f botli traiislators is gootl, I t seems unfortuiiate t h a t two translations shoultl h a w appearetl siniultaiieourly in this \\-a>-. I t is a striking instance of lion. (leiirahle it \\-cnilil k. if only a sort or' scientific cleariiig house coultl he estahlishetl : general bureau \\-liere record woulcl lie kept of a l l work going on i n all lal)nr,ttories. Iiefore unt1ert:ii;itiK a pivce of work a n investigator coultl then I)r certain t h e field \vas clear and tlie saving of titne. 111J\1' lost ljj- useless duplication. \voultl surely lie Kreat. S.L . Ili~q-elo:,~
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