NEW BOOKS

NEW BOOKS Lecons de Chimie physique. ,?'.I, /. 1% sq'. A i r f I, C h t ~ ~ ~ ~ i/ lcjt, z~li n i i ~ i i . sr;h

' f N o f ; fi?tris![rtd b.1, -11. C I I I ; 26.7 fi). Arris: A . Hcn/Iaiiu, i S 9 d . Pricc : p a p t . royroiics. ~ - The Gerinaii edition of this work reatly lieen reriewetl ( 2 , 2 j 6 j so that it is only necessary to call attentioti t o tlie esistetice of a French translation. to the promptness vitli \rliicli it Iias beeti issued, m t l to t h e excellency of tlie press-Jvork. The type is a little small for t h e size of the page ; liut. liarring this, tlic general effect is exccllent. To an Xiiiericaii eye a page of French iiecessarily presents a 1)etterappearaiice t11an a page of German, t h e 1ai.ter looking spotty oir-ing to t h e supera1,uiitlatice of capital letters. IViZdcr D . O~rrzrroJt 7'011

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A Manual of Chemical Analysis. EJ~ G. S._ \ i i i ' f h . z.? x 19 c;/i ; fip, .i-ii aiitl 462. A V t ~ York a~ : i ~ : r ~ i ~ i z iGrecii is, & Co., rLY9S. Pi,ice: clotli $/.73;.-S o many inerliocre treat' upoii analytical cheiriistry are already in print that ii n e v treatise must prese a plaasihle escuse for its existence. In this case ever!.oiie will agree \\-it11 Mr. Seivth's artlent tlesire to stein the iiiecliaiiical tide a1jyaJ-s waiting to swamp ant1 s n f f x a t e the uiixary heginner iii lal)orator>-Tvork! an11one is glad to see that iii some instances at least lie has untloulitetlly ~ C C O I I I plishetl his oliject. The trentriient of the perplexiiig reactioiis of the p l ~ o s pllates of t h e alkaline earths in IiarLiciilar is Iiraiseir-ortliy as directing t h e stutient's attention to tlie rationale of the matter, although tlie language is f a r from rnotlern. Intleetl. after a careful perus:il of tlie hook one is uiiconsciousl y iiiclineL1to seek t h e title page i n order to see if it \vas really pulilidietl i n 189';. v e r y feu-paragraphs in it. could not Iiare heen xritteii fifteen years q o . -1iiool; oil quantitatiye analysis containing 110 ~iientionof t h e Goocli cruciliie, tlie Schellliach 1):irette. or t h e Ostn-altl calibrator for burettes. is intleeti an anacilroilism. Sotliiiig could tlemonstrate t h e old-fashioned nature oi the hook inore conclusirel>-tliaii a sentence tlescriptire of electrol! -- The action of the current is to separate tlie salt into its ions." Xfter seeing that reiiiark m e is not surprisetl t o meet u i t h 110 furtlier itiention of ions froiii lieginning to end. On t h e whole the qualitative part of the hook is hetter tlian tlie quailtitatire. for the crudity ot' tlie ~nethotlsetriplo! et1 is there of less serious iiiiport. 111 keeping with tlie rest of tile ciuaiititati\-e part is tlie table of atomic weights. \~-Iiicliis based uprin the :ancietit and olxwlete stantlrircl0 I j . 9 6 alitl is inacetir a t e e r e n upon t h a t hasis. In shor.,. hLii\-everuseful this hcwk m a - he as a l l initiator of neophytes, it will iiever he sought by the cheniist ~ l i desires o light upon tlie iiioijt recent intelligence concerning any point discusser1 in it. "

Thro.W . R i c h n i d s Physico-Chemical Methods. L?J' /. Tnrirhe. Authorized trtziislirfioii b j , TI7.L.Htridiii. 16 X zit ciiz ; pj. imii n i i d 236. PhlLiZacfelplzin: P.G l n k i s f o f z ' s S,iii 3 Co., 189s. Price : cloth $1.50. -The hook contains chapters on the

566 balance : density : capillarity : constant of viscositv : solubility : electric cor cluctirit- of liquids : expansioii of liquids : melting-point and solidifying-point depression of the freezing-points of solutions ; hoilitig-point and vapor-pressure elevation of the boiling-points of solutions : specific heats ; heat of fusion heat of vaporization : tlierniochemical constants : measurement of crvstals : ind e s of refraction : spectrum analysis : rotation of tlie plane of polarization ; general contrivances for measurements. In the appendix are a series of tallies including the very useful one for the Pulfrich refractometer. The general descriptions are good. the most serious criticism being that in discussing hoiliiigpoint p. 91 tlie thermometer should have heen placed in tlie liquid and not iii the condensing vapor. The method of Ranisay and Young for determining vapor pressures of univariant systems is not referred to and it is very difficult to see why references to tlie literature on reaction velocity should h a r e heen given in the chapter on solubility. The traiislation is thoroughly satisfactory though it is hetter to sile& of the rotation of tlie plane of polarized light than to say ' . plane of polarization ". 1 ~ 7 i ~u. ~ E~ ) , Izcl-ojt

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Commercial Organic Analysis. By Aljl.ed H . A l l c z . Secoud Edifioil, Rcuiscd nun' E d m g e d ; L-ol. I17. 16 X 23 cwz; #$. xi aird 534. Philadelp h i a : 1'. Bltrkisfoit's h%it & Co.! rS9S. Price: d o l h $+.jo. -1Vith the puhlication of this volume the work of the revision of tlie hook. which has extended over fourteen years. is completed. Those v h o have used the hook arid n-110 k i i o ~ vits almost itiestiniahle value will he glad to welcome the coiicludiiig volume of a work to the writing of which I I r . Allen has devoted the 11estyears of his life. This voluine like the others which hare preceded i t is a model in its thoroughness and cotiipleteiiess. T h e methods given have heeii examined by JIr. .illeii or his assistants and the results of their experience are stated. This of cotirse adds very niaterially to the value of tlie hook. Tlie subjects coiisidered are among the most important with which the chemist has to deal and it niay 1)e added tlicse ahout which the average cheniist knows least. .Imoiig tlie subjects considered are first the general character of the proteids and their analytical reactions, then the proteids of the egg, hlood plasma, urines, plants and milks are treated. Milk aiid milk products, meat and meat products are then dealt \vith a i d tlie voluine ends with chapters on the proteids of digestion, haernoglohlin and the alhunii~ioids. The hook is clearly and coiicisely written. well printed aiid iieatll- hound. It is a book which should he iii every chemical lihrary, atid in the possession of every working cliernist.

IV. R.OY11dOYf Lectures on Explosives.

BJJ lb'i~lo~cg/r6~v It'alke. Sccoird Editioiz. Re;,ism' and EiiinI.,rred. Ij x 23 C V L ; p#. xsgi a d 4 3 j . rl'eal Yot-h :fohlz Wiley 3 Sotis. Price: cloth $ ~ , u o . - F r o m the preface we learn that this hook "is iiiteiided to serve as a nianual and guide in the practical lahoratory-work in the course of explosives at the U. S. -1rtilIery School ". Berthelot classifies explohi\-es under eight heads : explosive gases ; detonating gaseous niistures ; esplosire inorganic conipounds : explosive organic compounds ; mixtures of definite esplosive conipouiids with inert substances ; riiistures of a n explosive oxidizable

conipouiid v,-ith a non-explosive oxidizing substance ; mixtures \\-it11an explosive oxidizing base ; mixtures of oxitlizahle and oxidizing substances. neither of which is explosive separatdy. This classification, while excellent for a study of all possible explosives. is rather too far-reaching for the purposes of rililitariiistructioii and, in the book under consideration, explosive> are classifietl under tlie two rnaiii heads of niixtures an? conipounds. The former class is suhdiriiled into nitrate niistures and chlorate mixtures : the latter c1;tss into nitrosubstitution products, nitric ethers or esters, sniokeless p o l d e r . explosives oi the Sprengel class, fulminates arid amids. The nitrate class of mixtures includes all the ordinary po\v(lers. The regulation black gunpowder is very nearly the same all the world ox-er and consists of KSO, 7 j parts, C I j parts, and sulfur IO parts. Persia arid Spain are the only t v o countries in which variation from these figures is more than one part in a hundred. In Spain and Persia the official black powler contains K X O , ;5 parts, C 12. j parts and S 1 2 . j parts. The brown "Cocoa I'omler " introducetl into Germany in 1SY2 coiisisted of K S O 80.44, C 15.9, S 2 . 2 4 , and water r.oS parts. The color is due presumably to the charcoal having been macle by carbonizing rye straw. This ponder burns very slowly in tlie air. The advaiitaKes claimed for it are that it imparts " a high initial velocity to the projectile whilr exerting a relativel- low pressure on the walls of tliegun." The DuPoiit hron-ii ponder, itiveiited in ISST,owes its peculiar properties to the charcoal being prepared in such a \\-a?- as to retain the cellular state of the wood, and also to the addition of carbohydrates. Saxifragine is a slow burning powier coiitainiiig Ba(SO,), jj, C 21, and S 2 parts. 111the ' ' .%mid Powder ' * the sulfur is dolie away with entirely, the ingredients being potassium nitrate, arrimonium nitrate, and charcoal. Blasting powders, especially when inteiidetl for use it1 hot climates, often contain sodium nitrate iiistead of potassium nitrate. Iii addition to a discussion of the different styles of gunpowder in use, the author gives an exhaustive description of the methods for preparing and testing poirders. T h e so-called white powders come under the head of chlorate mixtures. and contain potassium ch:orate iiistead of nitrate. These powders are apt to explode unexpectedly ; and the position of the author i n regard to tlierri is summed up in the following words : "Those mixtures intended for use as fuse compositions are the oiily ones that have become of any practical value ". Two fuse mixtures used at tlLe U. S. Saval Torpedo Station consist of potassiuni chlorate 41.14, manganic osid 44.45,amorphous phosphorus 11.1I parts, and potassium chlorate 45.00 ; antimonious sulfid 20. jj , aniorplious phosphorus 5 . 7 5 , carbon 2s.j o parts respeciiT-ely. Cnder the heading of explosive compounds consisting of nitro-su1)stitutioii products, picric acid, and potassium picrate take first place. The French melinite as first invented consisted of guncotton 30 parts and fused picric acid 70 parts. This is thought to he the composition of the English Lyddite ' ' of which so much was heard during the recent campaign i n the Soudan. The composition of the melinite now used in France is not known ; hut the esplosire is " believed to contain picric acid mixed with some oxidizing suhstance." Cresilite is trinitrocresol. I n France it is niixed with rnelinite and used for charging shells. Bellite is a mixture of potassium nitrate, aninioniuni nitrate "

and nietadinitrohetizene. Rohurite is a mixture of ailiilioiliuni nitrate a n d inonocliloriliiiitrobeiizene, to vhicli nitroiiaplitlialeiie is sotiietinles atlded. I t is claimed for these last two explosives tliat the!- cannot 1)e esplorled by friction. sliock pressure, fire, liglitning, or electricity. and t h a t they can he matie to e s plode only t)>- means of a detoiiatiiig cap. For this reason they are sotnetinles known as "safety explosives ". The nitric ether or ester class of explosi\-es consist of guncottori atid its (lerivatives, nitroglyceriii. antl its deriI-ativ either pure or rnisecl \\-it11 other substances. Dynamite is a technical term r iiiixtures of nitroglycerin Xvitli a dope '' or sulistance which aljsorhs aiid retains it untler contlitions of teiiil)erature atid pressure. In the orrlinary tlyiiaiiiite the dope is an inert schstance kiio~utias k i e 4 g u l i r . tripoli or rottenstone. Carh:xlynatnite consists of gopirts of nitroglycerin ant1 I O parts of very ahsorhent charcoal obtainetl hy carljoniziiig cork. Other il!-iiamites consist of nitroglycerin a1)sorbetl h y some one of t h e esplosi\-e.: already consitleretl. Soliel'e l)la.;tiiig gelatine is iiitrogl) cerin aiitl guiicottoii. I n the military explosive gelatinrs, catnphor is atltle(1to reduce the setisitil-eiiess to hock. To ohtaiii a smokeleis poiuder it is essential tliat the ingretlieiits sliall be such atid in such proportioii that practically no solitl matter sliall lie forriietl. This condition is satisfied by guiicottoii, 1)ut this explosive is too powerful to he u e t l by itself. I\Iotl?rn smokeless powders consist essentially of iiisoluble guncottoii. or soluble nitrocotton, or mixtures of the tiuo, \\-it11 atl