74 



NATURE 



[November i6. 191 t 



r.-itlur ill. Ill 1m .111 iii(ii.i--c ill ill'' ainoiml of nioisturf 

 prcNciii. A SiAiin Mii.uir is liijurcd (p. S-i. .mil ilu- 

 ,iiili(.|uii ii - 1' .nl us oil (() ilic st(,iu 111. 

 ( 'ii|lrsU(,|.U, :iii(| (he will i\;iil( (1 h ■'• -•■■i 

 iln- I I i.is |il.iiii. 'I'lii- chcsi mil-; 



tOlllli ill l\ini|>--i\ ('Imicll (|). 1 (' ' i;:,r, j.li./h III. 



rcidcr ulm li.is iml scrii it. (■. .\. j. ( . 



M ] I HE MA TIC A L AND PH YS J CA !. 



CHEMIST m. 



( \) Tlir-nctii III (lu-mi.slrv innii the Slmiilpnitil o! 

 A-'t^<^tuhi>' s h'lilc inul I licr))i(idynamics\ lU Piol. 

 W. Nci'iisi. I\i\isitl ill ;icc( irci.inci- willi llic sixlli 

 ( icnii.in cdiiiDii l)\ ii. '{'. 'li/.ird. (I.diidnn : M;n- 

 inill.ui .111(1 ('()., Ltd., ri)ii.) I'ricr 15.-.. m-l. 



(^1 lliijii'r Miilhrnnili, s J.-r (li,)iil,<il Slii,lnils. I>\ 

 J. i\. r.iriin-idii. rj). \- I .';.•. (I, end. mi: .M.iluim 

 and 111., Lid., it)i i. ) I'rici- ^.s. 



(3) AhlmiKllinii^cii ilcr nritls<lic>i lhniM)i-(ii'Sc'll>rli(ift 

 liir (III i;, •',,■(111(1 1 (■ f^l!vsik(ilis(li(' l'liciiii(-. Zwciti-r li.ind. 

 Xr. \-., Mi'ssmii^iii (■l(i<;ii-(ini'>iorisclic Kiat'ic i;;d- 

 vanJschtT Kntcn. niit \\ .-issi-ii^i-n I'.lcklniJN nn. ISv 

 R. Abrij^ii, l'"r. Aucihiuli, and U. Lullicr. V\>. \ + 

 -M 3. (Halle ;i. .S. : W. Knap[), i()ii.) Pricf H.j\o 

 marks. 



(r "OROl". XlvRX.S'l'S l(Xl-h(U)k occupies a special 

 * piisitiiui ;inii>ii;;si tfxt-books of ])h\sical 

 cli'iiiisirx, uiiiirn .is it is In- an author of such 

 emiiifncf as a pi;)nrcr ,ind iiui-i ii^iitor in the science, 

 and ot such rcmarkalilc powers ol exposition. From 

 ihr ilicmiral point of view no better basis for a work 

 of the kind can be ado|)te(i than that of Avogadro's 

 rulr, for one of the main practical problems of the 

 chemist is the determination of molecular concentr.i- 

 tions. Gas densiTus, osmotic pressures, fnc/ini^ .ind 

 boiling points of solutions, conductivity of electrolvtic 

 solutions, and electromotive forces are all measured 

 with this |iriinary object in view, and tli.-nfore 

 A\di;adro's rule is at the root of ihem all. On this 

 sound rhrinical basis, then, with the aid of the two 

 laws of thermodynamics, the author has built. His 

 id. MS .iif .always cle.ar cut, his expression of them is 

 always ordered and concise, .and his m.ithcmaticil 

 proofs are of special ne.itness and brevit\ . It is no 

 wonder, then, that although the book is scaici 1\ in- 

 tended for beginners, it should have n.ichi d ,i sixth 

 edition in (urnian ;ind ;i third in English. The 

 advanced student and teacher will spccialh' welcome 

 in this latest edition a detailed account of Prof. XCrnst's 

 new thermodynamical theorem, of which so much has 

 been recent 1\ heard. 



It is .1 mailer for regret that tlie original English 

 translatiim of Prof. Nernst's work was far from 

 satisfactory, and so to a consideraMe i xient spoiled 

 the vogue of the book. The present transl.uion has 

 been revised and partly rewritten, and h;is without 

 doubt been thereby vastly improved. But nothing 

 short of complete retranslation could do justice to the 

 original. However, an occasional awkwardly turned 

 phrase of distinct !}• Teutc^iic flavour will jirobablv 

 not greatly incommode the average reader, and so to 

 all those who desire acquaintance with the facts and 

 theories of physical chemistry and an indication of the 

 NO. 2194, VOL. 88] 



lines of progress 



I'inf. Xernsfs e-. 



miiri- ol Uie 

 most service.:' 



of the pr.'icticil prol)i 

 formed his t.isk since 

 te.ich loo much, and 



lir.ielie.ilK Us. Ii;l !.■ l! 



at once shown 1)\ well-sel. 

 Nefi^enl seiiis .are illustrat.-d i)\ 

 the WiisliiiiLi of precipit.at<-s, 

 .-icjueous solution li\' 111. an 



-ci<nce, this tran>lalioi 

 1 unique work can b< 



,,..,,e.d books intended for 



ieiiis which h.-ive come under 

 Ml. Partington's i- 

 as had a clear n' 

 iMeiii lo !;.• solved, and has 

 ■essfulK. H'' does not attemi 

 ,tii< ; s to what wi 



. -1 physical chemi 



■ ol the mathem.-i 



■ ,1 tli,.ir -,r,i,i;,--,t:. 



UP- two e\;ni'JJi' 



.and extraction 

 of ether; maxima 



ndnim.i b\ the r.tte of cat.alxsis of methyl acetai' 

 w.tter; ill.- compound interest law by the deca 

 radio-.icti\ ii \ ; and so on. .Mike to the ch' : 

 siudenl wlio li.i- no [)r.'\ious knowledge ol • 

 eiitial and int.-^ral c.dculus, and to the ^lu' 

 has le.irnt tlx- ni.thods of the calculus, ■ 

 a loss how to .ipph them, ihis little book will < 

 considerable v.due. 



( t) The Hunsen-desi llsch.ift di'serves the gratituc 

 those who work 011 the subject of electromotive • 

 for till- issui- of till' volume under review. It coi 

 of three parts : ( n .1 complete system.ttic and chr 

 logical bibliogr,ipl.\ of nuisurenunts of electroir, 

 forces; (2) a -. I.riion of the- most truslw. 

 measureiueiiis r.diuid lo a uniform system; an. 

 tables of the most prob.ible v.ikies itf single . " 

 potcnli.ils. 



In ihi' liililiogr.aijhic.al section the nature of 

 electroiiioti\-.' conibin.itions measured is given, but 

 the numerical \ahi.s olii.aine.i. Only aqueous 

 tions .are consider, ci, and sucli combinations as 

 vohi^ .an .ageiicx exi.rn.al to the cell are excluded, 

 thermoelectric .and photoelectric combinations, de< 

 position potenti.als, .and the like. The arrangement 

 by elements according to the groups of the peri< 

 table, both in the bibliographical and in the tabi 

 sections; the single potenli.als are referred to 

 normal hydrogen electrode as zero. 



W'iih this book of reference at hand the worker: 

 ( lectromotive force can ascertain in the minimui 

 time wh.a irustwortln wurk has already been 

 in his speci.al br.inch, and see at a glance the 

 probable numerical values for any electromotive 

 bination in which he may be int. rested. J- 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Fiild S(<ti--h(h>k cf (•iological lUustraiiotis. .Arra 



bv Hild.i D. .Sharpe ; conlainine 86 iiliototrraphS 



maps. Pp. 51. (M.incl. ' 



(Jarnett. Ltd., n.d.) Price ., 



TiiK idea of this hoolc is a very happy one. 



•Sharpe has collecteii ,a number of photogr.aphs 



trating geological features, m.ainlv from places in 



r.ritish Isles, and Messrs. I'latters and Garnett 



prepared to supply lantern-slides of most of thet 



IS. each, or on hire at kv. yl. a dozen. Even 



supplement to the fine series issued by the Br 



