VOL.2, No. 8
RECENT
different phases of the work, j l ~ as t they discr concerning methods of instruction in the elamroom; for the personality of the teacher is the important factor in both eases. The nutho. is to be congratulated upon his recognition of the real need for such a book. and even more upon his courage and enterprise in attempting to meet thi. need. How well he has succeeded is indicated by the favorable reception already accorded hio book. w e may well leave the final appraisal t o the many teachers who will gladly give the Intermediate Chemistry Companion a fair trial and t o the students themrelves who are the r e d judges of its chemical companionship. G. A. Aaaon.
A Pronotmcing Chemical Formula Speller m d Contest Goide. C. A. J~masou.West Virginia University. Tha Williams and Wilkins Co.. Baltimore. xviii 279 pp. 13.5 X 20.5 cm. $4.00. The appearance of this book on the market ia due to the success achieved by recent chemical spelling matches. I t will be received with open arms by many teachers, p M l y because of the help it will give in such matches and partly because of the vast amdunt of data condensed in its pages. I t s scope is best expressed in the words of the second paragraph of the introduction:-"The pxsent volume contains about 2850 names of inorganic chemical compounds together with their formulas and waters of hydration. It also contains more than 1000 names end formulas of the more common organic compounds, as well as in the neighborhwd d 300 minerals. I n addition t o these three lists of compounds, the volume contains 1554 questions and answers covering the typical chemical reactions of all the accredited ehemieally active elements. The answers t o these questions are expressed in the form of balanced equations." The lists are very full. The presence of five Hafnium compounds s h o w they are up t o date. The quertions and answers covering typical chemical reactions are unusually full. Here, a. in the lists, the rare metals are given much prominence. I t is refreshing t o see the name beryllium given preference over glutinum. That greatcarehasbeen t a t e n t o havethetext accurate is shown by the fact that numerous authorities such as Prof. C. James and Prof. E. C. Franklin, have contributed from their respective fields and have read proof thereon. The use of the prefix "thio" for "sulfo" shows an attempt to bring nomendatin line with that used in the A. C. S. publications. The names in the lists are syllableired, m a t e d , and marked with diacritical marks, for the last n helpful key t o pronunciation being gium. There is no hint aa to why somenames are printed in caps and some in small type. Two pages are devoted to dercribing the method oi condvcting spelling matcher and "ring the apcller. I t is unfortunate that in thc formulas for
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hydrated ralts the period is raised above the line, became in mathematics this means multiplication, and there is an attempt under way t o have a series of signs and conventions that.shall be consistent for ell the scientific subjects c o n manly taught in the schools. If separate lines were used for the several salts, when ralts with varying amounts of hydration are given. much might be gained in elearners so f a r e the ~ t v d c n t is concerned. The reviewer ha. made no attempt to find mistakes in the names or formulas; his eye did not catch any as he glanced over the lists; nny such mistskes, if present, will show themselves to those wb0 use the ]isfa. The atatcment that "Modem tendency narrants**.the calling of the metal, represented by the symbol Al, aluminum instead of aluminium" seems rather strong in the light of divided usage and of the feeling many have that the names of the metals should, for consistency's sake, end in -ium so far as possible. In spite of the fact that much enort was taken t o attain eonsiatency in nomenclature (see peg& riv and xv) one's confidence is shaken a little on seeing "University of West Virginia" on the jacket. "West Virginia University" on the title page and in several other places, and " W e t Virginia university" (with the first letter of "university" not capitalized) in another place. One m u t not look for tw great' freedom from little errors, h6wever. in the first edition of a book Wn.a~S ~H r OH~LOII of this sort.
High 8chool Chemi~tw. C ~ a n a m s E. Dmz. Hen* Holt & Company, New York (1925). xi 577 PP* 18.6 X 12 em. $1.80 postpaid. The High Sehool Chemistry, by Charles E. Dull, is an attractive and substantially bound volume, j u t published by Henry Holt & Company. The illustrations throughout the b w k espetia11y modem a n d commendnble. I t follows, in general, the order of the average highschool texts. which are the most popular and satisfactmy. with some changes of arrangement and addition which are especially interesting. Some of these I heartily spprove. Others 1 do not endorse without question. Ail the organie chemistry (earban and its oxides, treated in two chapters, following the order of the average text) is treated a t the end of the book, ro that it may be used, in the words of the author "for students who will not go to college. certain topies may be omitted t o gain time for the study of the chapten on the compounds of carbon." I n my opinion, the chapters on organic chemistry are a. imwrtnnt to thase who go t o collllege as t o thme who do not, and are almost a.important as any of the ~"bjeetstreated in the high-school text. Many of the college t&. do not emphasize organic chemistry, and some teachers omit it entirely, neces3itatir.g a special course, even for t h e e who go t o college. The great majority of eo1iege students taking
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