648. PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. 



minons territories of the once divergent chemistry and physics, 

 and the mere fact that so eminent a chemist as the late Sir 

 Williuni Ramsay undertook the editorship thereof is sufficient 

 proof that the highly important series of text-books on Physical 

 Chemistry, which is in course of preparation, has been written 

 without an\- of the "mutual misunderstandings " to which Dr. 

 Pope referred in his Australian address. The series now 

 consists of some sixteen volumes, dealing with such subjects as 

 stoichiometry, chemical statics and dynamics, the phase rule and 

 its applications, thermochemistry, stereochemistry, electro- 

 cheniistry, the theory of valency, spectographic analysis, and the 

 relation between chemical constitution and physical properties. 

 One of the most valuable works of the series has recently ap- 

 peared,* and is intended to be used as a general text-'book of 

 physical chemistry by those who have already acquired some 

 knowledge of both physics and chemistry. Prof. Lewis ex- 

 plains, in the preface to his two volumes, that his " system " 

 consists in regarding all physico-chemical phenomena as being 

 capable of separation into two classes: (i) phenomena exhibited 

 by material systems when in a state of equilibrium, and (2) 

 phenomena exhibited by material systems which have not reached 

 a state of equilibrium. Volume i deals with the phenomena of 

 chemical equilibrium -from the kinetic point of view, while 

 Vohnne 2 deals with considerations based upon thermodynamics 

 and- from the standpoint of the new statistical mechanics. The 

 student of twentieth - century chemistry will find much to 

 interest liim: he will find described recent work on the structure 

 of the atom and the magnitude of molecules, the transmutation 

 of the elements, and the distribution of molecules in space; he 

 will also find much on the subject of the theory of concentrated 

 solutions and of capillary chemistry. The second volume com- 

 mences with a great deal of fairly stiff mathematical analysis, 

 but it closes with a section in which radiation and photo-chemistry 

 are first discussed, and experimental evidence is adduced in favour 

 of the discrete natuie of radiant energ}^ Both volumes 

 are fully indexed and well provided with bibliographies, and, as 

 already indicated, a special feature of the entire work is the 

 thoroughly up-to-date manner in which the latest developments 

 of physico-chemical science are set forth. 



* Lewis, W. C. McC. : "A system of physical rhcinistry," Vol's. 1 and 

 2. pp. xiv. 523; vii, 552. London: Longmans. Green & Co.. 1916. gs. net 

 peV- volume (sold separately). . ,- 



