508 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



to have made an almost too scanty use of simple mathematics. It is to be hoped 

 that if the opportunity arises, a second edition may deal with the subject in a 

 considerably expanded form. Thus one would have welcomed, for example, the 

 simple deduction (by means of a thermodynamical cycle) of the fundamental 

 relation of Gibbs which has been worked out by one of the authors but is not 

 included in the present volume. 



The subject-matter dealt with maybe briefly summarised as follows. Chap. I. : 

 Demonstration of the existence of surface-tension. Chap. II. : Relation between 

 surface-tension and other physical properties. Chap. III. : Relation between 

 surface-tension and certain chemical constants. Chap. IV. : Adsorption phe- 

 nomena. Chap. V. : Electrical effects at surfaces and their influence upon 

 capillarity. 



The book can be recommended very warmly. 



W. C. McC. Lewis. 



CHEMISTRY 



The Chemists' Year Book, 1915. Edited by F. W. Atack, M.Sc, School of 

 Technology, Manchester University. [Two volumes, diary and pp. 914.] 

 (London : Sherratt & Jones, 191 5. Price 10.?. 6d. net.) 



Mr. Atack must be warmly congratulated on producing so excellent a substitute 

 in English for the Chemiker Kalender, which up to the war has enjoyed, without 

 opposition, the support of English-speaking chemists. The book is modelled on 

 the German publication, and in the variety and scope of its tables and data 

 it is no whit inferior to that much sought after Kalender. In fact, it contains 

 ieveral new features and tables of technological data more expressly suitable 

 for the requirements of the English works chemist, and altogether there will be 

 no excuse in future for the importation of a single volume of the publication 

 from the home of Kultur. 



The editor regrets that the initial difficulties experienced in setting up the 

 numerous tables have made it impossible to complete, for publication this year, 

 certain sections which it had been hoped to include. These, however, will appear 

 in future issues, and all care is to be taken to revise the tables and other data 

 in order to keep them up to date and as reliable as possible. 



The book is issued in two pocket-sized volumes, of which Volume I., which 

 contains the diary pages, is provided with a guard-flap. We might make the 

 suggestion that the diary part be bound up separately from the rest of the 

 volume and inserted by an elastic band, or placed in a suitable pocket in the 

 cover. New diaries could then be issued yearly, so that the expense of purchasing 

 a complete new book each year would be obviated. 



The present price {10s. 6d.) is by no means too dear for the amount of 

 information which is contained in the volumes, but many chemists will probably 

 find it too expensive to purchase new copies each year, nor will the data become 

 out of date so rapidly as to necessitate such a yearly renewal. With this 

 suggestion, we heartily commend the new Year-Book to the support of all 

 British chemists. 



C. S. G. 



Alcoholometric Tables. By Sir Edward Thorpe, C.B., LL.D., F.R.S. 

 [Pp. xiv + 91.] (London : Longmans, Green & Co., 191 5. Price 3s. 6d. net.) 



This little volume consists of three tables whose completeness supersedes anything 

 of a similar nature hitherto published. The scope and range of the data contained 



