VOL.7, No. 12
RECENTBOOKS
Staff of the Chemical Engineering Catalog. Second edition revised and enlarged under the supervision of T n o m s C. GREGORY,Editov, and ISABELLE M . WELCH.Assistant Editor. The Chemical Catalog Company, New York City. 1930. 551 pp. 15.5 X 23 cm. $10.W (buckram). In this edition the authors have attempted not only to correct and enlarge the list of words found in the first edition, but to broaden the scope of the book so as ta include precesses of manufacture, physical and chemical properties, as well as to give additional uses and shipping regulations of the materials. There is no question but that they have succeeded admirably in these respects. The reviewer recognizes that this book fills a definite need which no other book supplies so well. On the other hand i t is not a chemical dictionary in the ordinary sense, and its title is misleading. If a chemist is t o be considered a man back of a drug counter compaund'mg remedies of all sorts, then this book is a chemical dictionary. Since the science has evolved from this stage the hook should rather be entitled a glossary of pharmacological and chemical trade names. This assertion is supported by the fact that, of the 512 words listed an 20 pages chosen a t random, only 182 were chemical compounds with definite composition. In the "Dictionary" are described words like a h a marina, aralia, orchit, amber seed, angelica tree, azle grease, hydrargyri sulphes ethylenediaminato, sarsaparilla, bissebol, butee gum, chrysoprme, chittern bark. etc. The book describes a few manufacturing proce.;ar* such a the manulacture of glass, nlue, soav, ink, etc., i f the elecand includes f u des&iptions ~ troplating pnxesses with cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, tin, and zinc, but omits those of silver, gold, and platinum. A large number of rather uncommon words such as pyrocateckolcctodimethylnminophenyldimethypy~~oloneare found hut many common ones like dry ice, pectin, Duco. Sclenesr. Formica. and
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fluosilicic acid are missing. Some descriptions are antiquated, such as the derivation of helium, and same formulas are erroneous, such as those ascribed to diamino diphenyl urea and phenyl propiolic acid. Both chloral and chloral hydrate arecalled trichloroacetic aldehyde. In the Appendix will be found 46 tables of constants of various sorts, but these h a w no alphahcricnl armngcmrnt. S o t only the tradesman and technologist but the teacher of chemistry will find this book a useful reference work. C. A. JACOBSON
Popular Science Talks-Season of 1929. Volume VII. Presented by the Members of the Faculty of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, edited by Ivon GR~BITH.Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science, Philadelphia. Pa., 1930. 358 pp. 15.5 X 23 cm. $1.50. "These lectures are g i annually ~ ~ by members of the faculty of the college and cover a broad and interesting field of scientific subjects. They are not arranged in a course covering any particular field of science, nor is there any interdependence or connection. They are presented in a non-technical, easily understandable farm, but without the sacrifice of scientific accuracy or completeness." I n "The Modem Sun Cult" by J. W. STURMER, there is discussed the absorption of ultra-violet light through glass, atmosphere, clothing, etc. The use of ultraviolet linht as a tool by the chemist, as wrll as hy the manufacturer of food products. in the irradiationof c~rvals,milk, and certain oils, is ably formulated. The chapter by C m m s H. LAWALL on "The Romance of Beverages" shows the part that liquid refreshments, alcoholic or otherwise, has played in the lives of people. The history of alcoholic drinks, tea, coffee, and cocoa is writtenin an interesting manner and includes many insertions of verse.
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JOURNAL OF CHEPdICAL EDUCATION
Probably the chapter written in the most scientific manner is the one by ARNO VIEROE~ER, on "Soil and Sod." Here are gathered data as t o soils, and soil reactions. There is a catalog of common, wild, and tame house and drug plants, classified as t o the pH of the soil best fitted far their growth. Here in less than 40 pages is an excellent introduction t o agricultural chemistry, containing a wealth of material for the teacher or student. The first half of Ivon GRIPPITH'Schapter on "The Cosmetic Urge" is "popular" in nature and, with apologies t o Mencken. would he an excellent address t o be made a t a Rotary Club luncheon. The last half, however, contains information as t o the composition of various cosmetics, and their value. I n "The Carbon Oxide Brothers. Mon and Di." F. P. STROUP discusses the manufacture and uses of these two substances. The composition of modern fireworks is included in an article by E. FULLERTON COOKon "The History and Mystery of Pyrotechny." The use of military pyrotechnics is also briefly discussed. "Iodized Salt-A Food or a Drug" is the title of an article by D. W. HORNwhich considers the problem from a clmical standooint. The advantaxes and disadvantages are abundantly discussed. Others chapters, not pertaining so directly t o chemistry, are: "Time-What Keeps It?": "How Much Do You Weigh,"; "Snakes and Snake Protection"; "Heart Beat and Blood Flow"; "Little Drops of Water"; and "Evolution of the Motion Picture." Collectively they are an interesting series of articles, written in a popular style, although as would he expected, the style varies from article to article. SAULB. ARENSON UNIVBRS~TY on CINC~NNAII
C r a n m * n , Onm
Sulfuric Acid and Its Manufacture. H. A. AUDEN, MSC., DSC. Longmans, Green and Co., London, New York City, 1930. vii 231 pp. 50 figs. 14 X 22 cm. $6.00.
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D E ~ E ~ ~ B1930 ER.
The author states that, in view of the size and inclusion of many details, the standard works on this subject are not suited t o the student of applied chemistry. This hook has as its purpose an exposition of the fundamental prohlems underlying the manufacture of sulfuric acid, and includes numerous references and a brief review of earlier methods and processes. Beginning with a chapter on history and statistics, the author devotes a chapter each t o the properties of sulfuric acid, to its handling and transportation, and t o the production from sulfates. Two chapters discuss the sources of raw material, sulfur and pyrites, and the burners used in making sulfur dioxide from them. The discussion of the lead chamber process and the purification and concentration of chamber acid occupies most of the rest of the hook. The contact process and its control are covered in two chapters, a space which is not commensurate with the importance of contact acid manufacture. Some excellent tables of data are given, but more would have been welcome. Most authors of hwks of this type greatly overestimate the preparation and background of the average student of applied chemistry, and take entirely too much for granted. While this hook is very valuable t o one who already has a very clear idea of the ways in which sulfuric acid is made commercially, i t is doubtful whether a student trained solely in theoretical chemistry will he able to get anything like as much from the discussion as he would have if a few pages had been devoted to a simple, elementary summary by way of introduction and preparation. The illustrations are mod, but are far too few in number. From the standpoint of educational value the hook is so good that one cannot help regretting that i t is not a little better so as t o justify its being regarded as the last word in a brief text on this subject. The only way in which a hook of this sort can he improved from an educational standpoint is for teachers t o use it, and to tell the author in what respects they
