150 Notices respecting New Books. 



the fluids. It is readily soluble in water, but insoluble in alcohol 

 and ajther. Its analysis gave the following results :— 



I. 6-013 grs. of platinochloride of collidine gave 6-345 grs. 

 carbonic acid and 1-937 gr. water. 



II. 5-040 grs. of platinochloride of collidine gave 5-360 grs. 

 carbonic acid and 1*650 gr. water. 



I. 5-620 grs. of platinochloride of collidine gave 1-705 gr. 

 platinum. 



II. 4-535 grs. of platinochloride of collidine gave 1-362 gr. 

 platinum. 



III. 5-097 grs. of platinochloride of collidine gave 1-657 gr. 

 platinum. 



Experiment. Calculation. 



-1 



I.' II. III. 



Carbon . 28-77 29-00 



Hydrogen 3-57 3-63 



Nitrogen 



Chlorine 



Platinum 3033 3003 29-89 



100-00 327-2 



These results correspond with the formula C 16 H U N, HCl+PtCl 2 , 

 and entirely confirm the constitution of the base. The rest of 

 its salts have not been particularly examined, as they did not 

 present anything of interest. 



[To be continued.] 



XXI. Notices respecting New Books. 



A Treatise on Frictional Electricity. By Peter Theothilus Riess. 

 Berlin: 1853. 



THE materials for a treatise on electricity lie in part scattered 

 through former treatises, and, in detached portions, through 

 the pages of scientific journals. A portion of these materials is doubt- 

 ful ; a part false ; another part true, and therefore destined to live. 

 To choose wisely from such a mass — to preserve the true, reject the 

 false, and assign to the doubtful its proper value, requires a correct- 

 ness of judgment which a practical cultivation of this portion of 

 science can alone bestow. How many of our scientific books are 

 compiled by persons who themselves have no clear conception of the 

 things concerning which they write, and who therefore introduce 

 confusion and dismay into the minds of their readers ! For it is not 

 bv the mere withholding of knowledge that such writers do harm ; 

 this would be a negative evil, but it is not the worst ; it is the sap- 

 ping of the reader's faith in his own ability, the forcing upon him 

 the conviction that he has no natural capacity for such studies, that 

 does most mischief. If a scientific hand-book be defective in clear- 

 ness or unsound in argument, the reader who comes to it for instruc- 



