810
NEW BOOKS
couples is not dealt with in the present volume, which also does not discuss i t s use in alloy with platinum as an ammonia oxidation catalyst. A good example of the care taken to include modern work is the full discussion of the sulfides, taken from a publication of 1935. This section of the Handbuch is very satisfactory. J. R. PARTINGTON.
+
Kurtes Lehrbuch der physikalischen Chemie. By H. ULICA. 24 x 15 cm.; xvi 315 pp. Dresden and Leipzig: T. Steinkopff, 1938. Price: 12 RM. The author has attempted, by a careful choice of material and by the omission of purely physical sections, t o produce a book of moderate size which yet gives a sstisfactory view of physical chemistry up to a standard suitable for students of other faculties,, suah as engineers, physicists, and biologists, and such as will form a basis of further study for chemists. He has been successful in dealing with all the important branches of the subject in a way which is not a t all superficial and is in accord with modern requirements. Particular emphasis is laid on thermodynamics, in which the modern methods are used throughout. The approximate calculation of equilibria by a method not previously published, which depends on the choice of suitable mean heat capacities, is noteworthy, and the numerical examples given throughout the book are a special and valuable feature. English and American work is most canefully taken into account, even to the extent of giving the English technical terms, since the author believes that an increasing use must be made in Germany of publications in that language. The short bibliographies a t the ends of the sections are well chosen. The only drawback the reviewer can see to the popularity of the book among students who can read German is the use of different fonts of German cursive type for symbols; these are sometimes difficult to distinguish. The book is one that can be warmly recommended as giving in a limited space a very adequate view of modern physical chemistry. J. R. PARTINGTON. The Phase Rule and i t s Applications. By A. FINDLAY. Eighth edition, revised with the assistance of A. N. Campbell. 21 x 14 cm.; xv 327 pp. London, New York, and Toronto: Longmans, Green and Company, 1938. Price: 12s.6d. There is no need to describe the character of this work, which has been a standard book on the subject since the first edition appeared in 1904. In the new edition some material has been dropped, including the experimental appendix, the contents of which can now be found in books on practical physical chemistry, some sections have been modified (e.g., that on intensive drying), and some material has been added. There comes a time when a book needs to be completely rewritten, since the mere addition of footnotes giving references to newer literature cannot keep a book up-to-date. The reviewer feels that, although many sections have been revised, some are in need of extensive revision. This applies, for example, to the sections on the palladium-hydrogen system (which is now quite out-of-date), the iron-carbon alloys, and liquid crystals. The new edition will continue to provide an excellent introduction to the subject, a s the former ones did, and when the time comes for a further edition i t is to be hoped that the whole text will be dealt with and the book reset. The present edition has been reproduced by the Novographic process and the old and new matter are often clearly distinguishable both in the text and footnotes, the appearance being far from pleasing. J. R. PARTINGTON.
+
A N D G. E. MATTKEWS. Pholographic Chemicals and Solutions. By J. I. CRABTREE 91 x 6+ i n . ; 95 figures; 13 tables; vii 360 pp. 353 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts: American Photographic Publishing Company, 1939. Price: $4.00.
+
NEW BOOK0
811
The authors are members of the staff of the Kodak Research Laboratories and a large part of this book is based upon papers published in various photographic journals by them and their associates over the past twenty years. Some of the material included is found in much the same form in Elementary Photographic Chemistry (Eastman Kodak Company). A formulary is included which contains the formulas of only one manufacturer. All of this does not in the least lessen the value of the work, for the subject is one that has not received the attention which i t deserves in recent photographic literature. From the wealth of their experience Messrs. Crabtree and Matthewshave made available in one place, conveniently arranged for ready reference, much information which is of value to every serious photographer. They have drawn liberally upon their wide acquaintanee with the conditions existing in the laboratories of the professional photographer, the photofinisher, and the motion picture processing laboratory. The thirteen chapters cover in considerable detail such important phases in the properties of photographic chemicals and the preparation and urn of photographic solutions as arrangement of formulas, conversion formulae, mixing apparatus, temperature measurement and control, effect of the water supply on photographic operations, apparatus for the construction of photographic processing apparatus, mixing and using solutions, handling solutions a t high temperature, storage and transport of solutions, substitution of chemicals, stains on negatives and prints, cleaning processing equipment, and precautions in handling chemicals. There are a number of useful chemical tables and a good index. C. B. NEBLETTE. Ezposbs de Photoehimie. By W. ALBERTNOYEIS, JR., PHILIPA. LEIGHTON,AND GERHARD K. ROLLEFBON.170 pp. Paris: Hermann et Cie., 1938. Students beginning the study of photochemistry are very fortunate in having available the excellent and modern survey of the basic principles of the subject that are contained in the first two parts of this book. The more detailed discussions of selected topics which are given in the latter part of the book will serve equally well either as illustrative material for students or as critical surveys for more experienced photochemists. The first section of 45 pages, written in French by W. Albert Noyes, Jr., is devoted largely to those general aspects of band spectroscopy which are of particular importance to photochemistry. The third and fifth chapters of this section contain rather brief discussions of the spectroscopy of a few selected examples of bi- and poly-atomic molecules. The second section of 72 pages, written in English by P. A. Leighton, treats the secondary or thermal steps of photochemical reactions. The second chapter in this section contains a very brief but clear summary of the more important facts and formulas of kinetic theory as applied to reaction kinetics, as well as an interesting account of the methods used in the analysis of complex reactions. The last three chapters of this section are devoted to three classes of photochemical reactions which have been rather carefully studied. The last section of 53 pages, written in English by G . K. Rollefson, consists of a detailed and critical survey of the photochemical reactions of halogens. Because of his own extensive researches in this field, the author’s opinions on some of the more controversial topics are of special interest. In the reviewer’s opinion this book is better adapted to class work and the teaching of photochemistry than anything that has appeared in recent years. Theauthors
