NEW BOOKS
619
Full attention is given in the revised work to many comparatively modern problems and processes such, for example, as the “cementing value” of soils and to the practical carrying out of the cementation tests ; also to the increased use of the centrifugal machine in accelerating sedimentation, with a description of the most approved forms of machine. The importance of soil acidity in its influence on crop-producing power is also discussed, as well as the quantity and determination of phosphoric acid in soil waters. These are but a few of the newer topics treated. T h e wonder is, however, not so much a t the newer processes that have replaced the old during this twelve-year period between the two editions, but rather at the large number of old standard methods that have remained practically unchanged and are still in vogue. T h e mechanical make-up of the revised work is much more convenient than the old, especially the feature of references by foot-note on the same page, rather than by being obliged to refer to the ends of chapters for authorities, etc. ALBERTE. LEACH. THIRDTREATISBON THE EFFECTS O F BORAXAND BORIC ACID O N THE HUMAN SYSTEM.BY DR. OSCARLIEBREICH.Translated from the German. London, 1906. J. and A. Churchill. paper, $1.75.
Philadelphia : P. Blakiston’s Son & Co.
70 pages,
This pamphlet, as the title page explains, is called a “Critical Review of the Report of Dr. H. W. Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, to the Secretary of Agriculture,” and is intended to throw doubt on the value of the experiments on the use of borax and boric acid as food preservatives, carried out some three years ago by the Department of Agriculture. T h e author of the pamphlet has himself written several papers in which he defends the use of the borax preservatives, and his attitude in the present publication is distinctly hostile. T h e translation is said to have been made in the interests of the commercial concerns exploiting the use of borax and for this reason loses some of the value it might otherwise possess. I t is possble that the translator is responsible for the peculiar arrangement and wording of the table of contents. J. H. LONG. NITRO-EXPLOSIVES : A PRACTICAL TREATISECONCERNING THE PROPERTIES, MANUFACTURE AND A%NALYSIS O F NITRATED SUBSTANCES, I N C L U D I N G THE FULMIF. I. NATES, SMOKELESS POWDERS A N D CELLULOID. BY P. GERALDSANFORD, C., F. C. S. 2nd Ed. Revised and Enlarged. D. Van Nostrand Co. New York. Price, &.oo net.
This is a revised and large edition of a work which is well known by all workers in the explosives industries. Not only has the work been revised and enlarged, but it has also been considerably improved. T h e older edition was becoming out of date on account of the rapid developments in explosives. I n the new edition the subject has been brought
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well u p to date, and tlie work will be welcomed by those interested in nitro explosives. Ikm-iptions are given of the more important a s ne11 as tlie latest processes and apparatus. T h e entire work is remarkably free from errors. Unlike liiost authors on technical subjects invo!ving cheruistry and chcmical ternis, the author has revised the cliemistry a s well a s the technology of liis subject. On p. 14 he calls attentioil to t h e correct riame for "iiitro-glycerine." iiamely glycerol-tri-nitrate. T h e gi-een spots mentioiled on p. 18 have been noticed iii nearly all other glycerol-nitrate explosives ; t h e revieiyer has seen a number of glpcerol-nitrate srnokeless powders ~ I i i c l iwere covered with green a n d white spots, t h e latterrepreseiiting a later aud more developed stage of decomposition ; such powders noultl show, by tlie iisual stability tests, their instability long before there is any indication of the spots. Nikoiajczak's statement (12. 4 1 ) with reference to glycerol di-nitrate has lately been confirmed by 1)r. T-olpert (Z.Ares. Scizicss-Spl.e1z~rsfo~zei. May 15-oj-p. 167.) w h o s:iys liis factory a t Dortnltiliil has sncceeded i n producing glycerol dinitrate pure and in large quantities aiid it is n o w used as n valuable basis for explosives. On p. 50 the author calls atteiitiori to the correct chemical name for nitrated cottons, namely, cellulose-nitrates On account of the many different forinillas adopted for cellulose, and the fact that no relatiori sufficient for classification purposes. exists between solubility and per cent. of iiitrogcn. there is gIeat coiifusioii today in the classification and narniiig of cellulo-e iiitrates. 111 a paper read before the Frankiin Inytitule in 1903, tile reviewer called alteiitiori !o tliis coninsion, and proposed the plan o i c:assir'yiiig cellulose-iiitrntes accordiug to their solubility ill etheralco!iol and tlieir nitrogen content ; e. g.,the designation "pentanitrate" is nieani~igle+s,uiiless ~ v eare a150 told that cellu1o.e is nir:irlt with 1 2 carbon atonis : for practical I)urposes, tlic designation 6 ' cellulose nitrate, 99 per cent. solubility ether-alcohol, and 12.7'5 per cent. nitrogen" is a complete description a n d a s a rliattcr of fact is used in niany ypecifications. 0 1 1 p. 180 i: slioulcl be noted that the U. S . Navy makes most of i t s powders a t Iricliaii H e a d , x ~ i rL17asliington. The coniposition of N a x i mite in. 191) is :i secret ; it contains a niti-o-conipouiitl, but not g u n cotton as its bnse ; it is the principsl high explosive of the U. S. A r m y , and together with "I!:splusive 11" (si) named after Major Dunn, U. S. Army ) deservcs perhap;; inorc :!inn nirre iiieiitioli. The "aiiquot part evaporation" iiiethod (p. 214;) for determination of solubility is ilot used in U.S . Ordnaiice laboratories ; there nre too many chaiiccs for error a!id it is cstr~il!tl!. clifficrilt to dry a colloid to constant \vciglit n-ithotit cnusixg deco~liposiiti~ii.- I t pre.ieiit ~ o l u b i l i t ydeternijnations are made iiidircctly b!. tlirc.ct deterniiuatioii of insoluble anti 1111-
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
6 2I
nitrated cottons. T h e section on stability or heat tests is perhaps not as complete as the importance of this subject warrants. T h e official or government tests of France, Gerniany and U. S. are barely mentioned. T h e 1 1 5 ' test credited to the reviewer (p. 269) is officially used and known as "the Ordnance Department 115' Test." A s a whole the book is excellent ; the reviewer has used it repeatedly and with satisfaction, both for reference and as a working guide in the laboratory. ALBERTP. SI..
RECENT PUBLICATIONS. ABEGG,R. THEELECTROLYTIC DIssocIA+riox THEORY. Translation
by Carl L. voii Ende. New York : J. Wiley & Sons. 1906. 7 180 p. $1.25. F. THECHEMISTRY 4 m PRACTICE or: S I Z I K G.A: BEAN,P., A K D SCARISBRICK, Practical Treatise on the Sizing of Cotton Yarns, Tape Sizing, etc. hIancliester, Eng. 1936. j97 p. $8.40. BIIlCHMORE, ~ + ' O O B R I D G E H.\LL. THE IXTERPRETATION OF G.\S AK;ALYSIS : EXplicit directions for making the deductions needed for utilizing thc information given by a Chemist's report of an allalysis of illuminating gas, in respect to the prohienis daily demnndiiig solution in business life. Kew York : D. Van S o s t r a n d CO. 1906 . 16 7 5 p. $1.2j. EUSKETT,EVA~YS W. FIREASSAYING. A Practical Treatise o n the Fire .Assaying of Gold, Silver, and Lead, including description of the Appliances used. S e i v Y o r k : D. Van S o s t r a n d Co. 1907. 105 p. $ I . 2 j . R O E K M A N N F. LE CE1,LULOID. CAZIPHRII, CEI.I.ULOSE. NITROCELLULOSE. CELLULOID. Traduit de l'~%llenixndet augmente d'un chapitre sur la Soie artificielle par G. Klatz. P a r i s : 1906. 126 p. 11. 4. CEISUS, -1.C. EBERDIE XRZKEIWISSESSCHAFT,in acht Ruchern. rbersettz und erlcliirt von E. Scheller. 2 Xuflage. Braunscliweig : 1906. 40 + 862 4s. 31arlc
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DAYKEEL, HEISRICH.ELECIROCHEMISTRY. I Theoretical Electrocheiiiistry a n d Physico-chcmica1 Fountlatioiis. Translated by Edmmld S. Merriani. S e w Y o r k : J. Wiley & Sons. 1906. ; + - I % p. $1.2j. D.\vrs, L\~II,LIAM RI. FRICTION A N D LUBRICATION. and Edition. Enston, Pa. The Chemical Pub!ishing Co. 1906. 263 p. 69 illustrations $2.00. Er
