498 



NATURE 



[October 6, 1923 



into ratlit I 



American Chemiral Motv^"- ?"hs. 



' \s ^ ..ik : 1 



il.ill.M ,;,t 



,-/ A./,,/. 

 Including KlcctrolyUs / / \ i > i 

 A. Kr;uis. C\nicri< 

 graph 

 Cataln^ ( M. Ill, .. n^jj.) 



(3) (ilnc and (iihilin. 

 (American Chemical Society MonoLi.iiili : 

 Pp. 236. (New "S'ork : The Cluinn a! (atal 

 Inc., 1923.) 3 (lollais. 



(4) CatalylK A,t!nii. \\\ K. (li-ur l'"alk 

 (\c\v York : 'I'lic Clu-iiiical CatalM;: Ci. 

 2. so (Idlhirs. 



immine 



I iM-niK al >M, ii't 

 ( New \'iii k : 'liic < licliiii .il 

 4.50 dollars. 

 J}y Jcminc Alexander 



Pp. 172. 



nc. 1922.) 



(i) '' I *HE monograph on "The Ori-in ol Sim tr.i 



X has been well written by hiuhly (jualified 

 authors. The suhjert is not an easy one to handle, 

 especiallv in view ot the fact that the inatheniatie.s 

 involved in the quantum theory of spectra is so (hllicult 

 that only those who have speiialised in advanced 

 mathematics can hope to follow it. The utmost that 

 can be done, therefore, in presenting the subjects to 

 chemists is to try to give to them a clear picture of the 

 general nature of the problems and of the solutions 

 which have been found for them, without attempting 

 to display the intermediate stages of the work. 



Under these conditions, it is no serious reflection 

 upon the authors of this monograph to say that Prof. 

 Bohr has achieved a greater measure of success in the 

 dilBcult, if not almost hopeless, task of cx])laininL; his 

 theories to reaiUrs who are unable to understand the 

 arguments on \\ liich they are based. This monograph 

 is, however, much more experimental in character than 

 Bohr's " The Theory of Spectra and Atomic Constitu- 

 tion," and is liberally provided with photographic 

 reproductions of spectra of the most diverse types ; 

 indeed, in the matter of successful illustration this 

 book may be compared with the publications of Prof. 

 R. W. Wood, some of whose photographs are repro- 

 duced in the present volume. 



As a general conclusion it may be said that the 

 authors of the monograph have rendered a ^aluable 

 service to chemists by bringing together so mueh in- 

 formation in reference to spectroscopy ; but that ihey 

 have probably overrated the mathematical and physical 

 equipment of their readers. The result is that even a 

 physical chemist, with a keen interest in spectroscopy, 

 is likely on reading this book to feel that he is being 

 carried — no doubt by highly competent swimmers — 



NO. 2814, VOL. 112] 



' asionall 



'Wn liinitt' 



II . 1 11-- 

 ( tricalh 

 fact, me 



'.Vllh ll., 



hai)fer <-; 



I'.arher u'nti ! 

 all\- tho-^e m! th- 

 ai ; 



This me\ilal)ly kaU.s v 

 mcna, since properties 

 a( I Moriii.ii i 



solmions. i'rol. Kraii 

 worker in the field nt 

 ticularly well ([ualiti 

 ])henomcna. His ]iiim 



guidaiK I' of 

 w'idlh of tilt 



as sur\( 



eing con\<._\(.u .n imss 

 ti\ity-water with sue. 

 I of the field is shut out 



rolytic tunductivity, t 

 cli()f,l. hav<- errt'd in j;.^ 



(( troiytt.^ 



'llt"Mc(l \ IfW ul t' 

 li' li are fjuitr cxrr; 



as a (H.sunguisncG re-- 

 )n-aqueous solutions, i 



a broad 

 .iiim;i of the huojeet. luen 

 the reader with the feeling that, under \\ ■ 

 the aiithiir. 1 

 field. instea<l 

 on a narrow stream of lo 

 high banks that tlie . 

 from his \ iew . 



(3) Mr. AKxandtr's hook on " Glue 

 is, in the o|)inion of the re\iewer. ot 

 standard than the two precinhni: \ulunie-. 1... .,„:.. 

 has already .written a lM.i>k on "' Colloid Chemistr)'. 

 but is not well known in l.nulish readers. From tl 

 book itself it is difficult to know whether the auth< 

 is a colloid-chemist whet has taken an interest in th 

 manufacture of glue, or a glue-chemist who has take: 

 an interest in the tluory of colloids. In any case tli 

 •monoirraph lays itself open to criticism by the fa^ 

 that it is neither a (itmp' ' ;ical handbook m 



a satisfactory theoretical i 



It is indeed dilVuult to picture the mental attitud 

 of the author of a te( hnical work who finds it nect 

 to warn his readers of the importance of possi 

 " minds flexible enough to fit all the facts of Nature ' 

 or of the writer of a book on glue who proceeds t' 

 inform his readers that " the decimal in the atomi 

 weight of hydrogen i-oo8 represents electrons. 

 Although the work contains a considerable amount c 

 information, as well as many »]uotations from paper 

 to which references are uiven. it is very badly pv. 

 together. In this ca>e at least the A"' 

 Societ\' has made ir-el: resjvmsib; 

 ought to ha\e undergone drasli* 

 being issued. 



n Chemica. 



-rk which 



ion befori 



