266 



NATURE 



[October 27, 192 1 



Cellulose Esters. 



Technology of Cellulose Esters. (In Ten 

 Volumes.) By E. C. Worden. Vol. i, part i, 

 Cellulose, Starch, Cotton. Pp. cxxv + 664. 

 Part 2, Nitric, Sulfuric, Mixed Acids. Pp. 

 cxvii + 665-1566. Part 3, Nitrocellulose : Theory, 

 Practice. Pp. cxvii+ 1567-2376. Part 4, His- 

 torical Development. Pp. cxvii + 2377-3o86A. 

 Part 5, Index. Pp. 3087-3709. (London : E. 

 and F. N. Spon, Ltd., 1921.) loZ. 105. net (five 

 parts). 



'""T^HE child whose first sig-ht of a giraffe called 

 JL forth the ejaculation, "I don't believe it," 

 represents the reviewer ruminating on the first im- 

 pression produced by this work, vol. i, in five 

 parts — literally five robust volumes — representing 

 i8| lb. of actual weight, and presumably loZ. 105. 

 of value as claimed. The impression is deepened by 

 the author's "Announcement and Preface," which 

 sets forth his aim and constructive conception of 

 the work, the present volume, and the nine to 

 follow ! The incidental statistics will make a 

 strong appeal to the mere megalophile. The pre- 

 paration of the data has involved 365,000 index- 

 cards; the matter deals with the work of 55,000 

 investigators, involving 350,000 references to 

 technical-scientific literature. These figures should 

 produce a moral impression on the external world 

 — external, that is, to the "world " of cellulose, of 

 which the author will be acclaimed as histrio- 

 grapher-, if not cartographer-, in-chief. 



To the world at large and the English-speaking 

 world in particular, "cellulose" has been little 

 more than a name, and " ester " a specimen of 

 a barbarous terminology quite remote from the 

 "things that matter." Nevertheless, cellulose 

 esters were a dominating factor of the great war 

 and "cellulose" connotes many of the primary 

 necessities and joys of daily life. 



It is evidently impossible in a review to convey, 

 even to the trained mind of the critical student, 

 any adequate digest of the contents of a work of 

 really colossal range. The attempt, moreover, 

 would be gratuitous, for its character is that of 

 an encyclopaedia. It has not the aim of a text- 

 book, and although the author claims that "its 

 statements are aimed at the inteUigence of a sym- 

 pathetic human being," we cannot take this point 

 of view in commending the book, for the emotions 

 are not touched by technical records and statistics, 

 and it requires a sympathetic temperament of an 

 unusual order to draw inspiration from a museum. 



We have prepared the reader for a really spon- 

 taneous tribute to the author in achieving a work 

 which has involved twenty-five years of labour. 

 NO. 2713, VOL. 108] 



The present result, only an instalment, is evidence 

 of such long-sustained perseverance, of great 

 ability, of courage, and all the qualities associated 

 with moral enthusiasm. With the experience of 

 a still longer connection with the subject-matter, 

 we have tested vol. i in regard to selected typical 

 "topics " — to use a favourite term of the author's 

 — and find the information exhaustive, accurate, 

 and, by reason of sound method in indexing, 

 readily accessible. 



It should be noted in regard to the plan of the 

 work that chaps. 1-3, constituting sectional vol. 

 (part) I, of 664 pages, deal with "Cellulose," 

 "Starch," and Cotton," and together form a 

 generalised foundation for the main subject. The 

 treatment follows no general systematic order, 

 though the sections are in many cases an expose 

 in logical sequence, as, for example, the section 

 on "Cellulose Analysis," contributed by J. F. 

 Briggs. 



It is clear that the work was not planned ab 

 initio, but has grown as a compilation and an 

 agglomerate; the author has continued his com- 

 pilation, and the accretions of contributors and 

 collaborators have been selected and incorporated 

 from time to time. Thus the work has evolved 

 as a compilation, an agglomerate and also con- 

 glomerate : for science and technology, abstrac- 

 tions and utilities, the essential and the trivial are 

 put together, without apparent method, i.e. with- 

 out subordination to the perspective of first prin- 

 ciples. 



This does not detract from the great value of 

 the work to the already instructed, the specialist, 

 whether of science or technology, seeking to in- 

 form himself on the records of research or tech- 

 nical development to date. S.uch readers of 

 critical habit will methodise the matter in read- 

 ing, whereas the general reader or student of 

 science or technology would rapidly reach dis- 

 couragement and mental indigestion. 



As a work to be recognised as a standard book 

 of reference it is only right to examine it as a 

 literary production. The author's mentality, to 

 use his own word, and style are revealed in a 

 prolix "Announcement and Preface," occupying 

 six closely printed pages. Opposite the first page, 

 on an otherwise blank sheet, the author has 

 printed a three-line exordium : — 



" Work for the night 

 is coming, when 



Man's work is done." 



The punctuation being as reproduced, and the 

 middle line in prominent type, the effect of the 

 paraphrase is confusion and shock. We remember 



