686 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



forcing chemical reactions to take place by such energetic — not to say violent — 

 means as high temperatures, the action of strong acids and alkalies, and the like. 



It is only recently that we have come to realise that many, if not all, 

 reactions can be made to take place far more smoothly and readily under the 

 influence of suitable catalysts, than by having recourse to chemical " Rightful- 

 ness, " so that we are constantly approaching nearer and nearer to the methods 

 of nature in vital processes, which are indeed catalysed reactions par excel- 

 lence. In fact one feels that the chief problems of to-day are to find the right 

 catalysts. 



To attempt to review fully the contents of the book one would need to 

 enter into a discussion on most of the problems of pure and applied chemistry, 

 both organic and inorganic, for there are few branches of the science into 

 which catalysis does not enter, but at all events, whatever errors of omission 

 or commission may have been made by the authors of the present volume, 

 they have undoubtedly succeeded in producing an extremely interesting and 

 eminently readable account of the whole subject. 



As they themselves point out in the preface, there have been hitherto 

 no books on the subject of catalysis, other than various short monographs 

 such as those of Sabatier, Woker, Orloff, Vittora, and Jobling, not owing to 

 any lack of interest in, or knowledge of, the subject, but, more probably, 

 because of the very great amount of labour required to summarise the existing 

 information and to present it in a suitable form. For this reason chemists 

 should be duly grateful to Dr. Rideal and Prof. Taylor for their courage in 

 tackling so large and diffuse a subject as catalysis, both in its theoretical and 

 practical aspects. 



Possibly the authors might have devoted a little more space to one or two 

 matters such as the great activity of copper as a catalyst in various directions, 

 particularly in connection with the chemistry of the anthraquinone series, 

 or the influence of solvents on reactions, including the very important work 

 of Dimroth on the subject, which finds, strangely enough, no mention in the 

 section dealing with the action of solvents ; and the very interesting case of 

 the use of mercury compounds as catalysts for the conversion of acetylene 

 into acetaldehyde, where definite intermediate compounds have been isolated, 

 surely calls for somewhat fuller treatment than it receives. 



Bearing in mind the axiom on p. 14 that " the chemical composition of 

 the catalytic agents is unchanged on completion of the reaction process," we 

 may venture to inquire whether the authors are justified in taking up some 

 half-dozen pages with a description of the well-known Grignard reaction, 

 for neither the magnesium nor the organo-magnesium compounds remain 

 unchanged on the completion of the process. 



No doubt in later editions of the book it will be found possible to amplify 

 various portions as experience dictates, but meanwhile it remains a very 

 excellent general treatise on the subject of catalysis which will repay careful 

 study. 



F. A. M. 



The Profession 0! Chemistry. By Richard B. Pilcher. [Pp. xiv + 199.] 

 (London : Constable & Co., 19 19. Price 65. 6d. net.) 



Mr. Pilcher, who is Registrar and Secretary of the Institute of Chemistry 

 of Great Britain and Ireland, has had a wonderful opportunity of seeing the 

 development of Chemistry which has taken place in recent years. In this 

 book he reviews all the branches of the profession, from the point of view of 

 the recognised professional body. The book is a mine of information on the 

 subject for parents, for the general reader, for the commercial and industrial 

 man, for the educationalist, and not least for the politician. The first chapter, 

 entitled " Preliminary Education," is written for the consideration of parents 



