8o6 



NATURE 



[June 24, 1922 



great thoughts and great actions. All are lit by the 

 reflections of the infinite." 



The translators are to be congratulated. Their task 

 was by no means easy, but they have accomplished it 

 in an eminently successful manner. 



S. P. B. 



History of Organic Chemistry. 



Geschichte der organischen Chemie. Von Carl Graebe. 

 Erster Band. Pp. x + 406. (Berlin: Julius 

 Springer, 1920.) England, 84 m. ; Germany, 28 m. 



THE history of a science has often been compared 

 to the erection stone by stone of some great 

 edifice ; but it appears to the writer that the metaphor 

 is ill chosen inasmuch as the complete building is 

 already planned when the foundation is laid. A 

 closer analogy is that of a jig-saw puzzle in which the 

 separate, irregular bits are slowly fitted into their 

 several places whilst the ultimate result remains 

 hidden until the whole is complete. 



This is certainly true of organic chemistry, and 

 although the general plan seems to be taking shape 

 in a marvellous fashion, who would declare the puzzle 

 to be near completion or attempt to forecast its final 

 development } Looking now at the ordered arrange- 

 ment of its several parts it is difficult for some of us 

 to realise the difficulties of the early investigators, who 

 had to make a selection from an ever-increasing mass 

 of disconnected observations and laboriously to piece 

 them together. It is perhaps one of the remarkable 

 facts in the history of organic chemistry that from 

 the publication in 1832 of the classical research of 

 Liebig and W5hler on " the radical of benzoic acid," 

 which Berzelius greeted as proclaiming the dawn of 

 a new day, few revolutionary changes in fundamental 

 principles have occurred to retard the steady growth 

 of the science. Even the electrochemical theory, which 

 engaged Berzelius and his opponents of the French 

 and German laboratories in a somewhat embittered 

 controversy, only served to stimulate research and 

 add new facts to the science. 



It is interesting to trace the many new theories 

 which owe their inception to the study of organic 

 chemistry. The theory of valency was developed by 

 Frankland in studying the organo-metallic compounds ; 

 that of catalysis was formulated by Berzelius in explana- 

 tion of the ether process. Isomerism was conceived 

 by Faraday in examining the compressed hydrocarbon 

 gases of the Portable Gas Co. The relation of vapour 

 density to molecular weight elucidated by Gerhardt 

 and Cannizzaro, the theory of atomic linking advanced 

 by Kekule and Couper ; of stereoisomerism by Pasteur, 

 NO. 2747, VOL. 109] 



van't Hoff and Le Bel, and in recent years of dynamic 

 isomerism, enzyme action, steric hindrance and many 

 other phenomena, which have helped to throw new 

 light on molecular mechanics and structure, all origin- 

 ated with this branch of the science. 



In the volume before us, which is printed in clear 

 type. Prof. Graebe describes in considerable detail 

 and in simple and attractive language the history 

 of organic chemistry from 1770 to the 'eighties of 

 last century, and tells us that arrangements have 

 already been completed with Dr. Hoesch to carry the 

 story forward in a second volume. In the arrange- 

 ment the author has recorded the results not only of 

 experimental and theoretical investigations but has 

 attempted to show by quotations from the original 

 sources the manner in which the new ideas were given 

 to the world, while numerous, brief biographies of 

 chemists are introduced as their names happen to 

 occur. 



The volume has evidently been prepared with 

 parental thought and care which the author expresses 

 by the word Vorliebe, a feeling which can well be under- 

 stood in one who, during a long and active career, 

 has himself played no insignificant part in the story he 

 relates. We can cordially recommend the book to 

 all chemists who are interested in the history of their 

 science. 



J. B. C. 



Early British Botanists. 



Early British Botanists and Their Gardens, based on 

 Unpublished Writings of Goodyer, Tradescant, and 

 Others. By R. T. Gunther. Pp. viii + 417. 

 (Oxford : Printed by the University Press, 1922.) 

 n.p. 



JOHN GOODYER, until recently known only as 

 the contributor of rare plants to Dr. Thomas 

 Johnson, the editor of the second edition of 

 Gerard's " Herball " in 1633, and further commemo- 

 rated by Robert Brown's orchid genus Goodyera, 

 is the central personality in this absorbing volume. 



About twelve years ago Canon Vaughan, rector of 

 Droxford, a Hampshire village famous as the retreat 

 of Izaak Walton when he retired from London, printed 

 an article embodying fresh information, which was 

 followed later by a longer notice by Dr. G. C. Druce 

 in the Report of the Botanical Exchange Club for 

 191 6, pp. 523-550, drawn up from papers in the library 

 of Magdalen College, Oxford. Now, thanks to the 

 assiduity of the author of the volume under notice, 

 he, as librarian, has had the' scattered notes arranged 

 and bound, and from them has presented a picture 

 of the man. which is a revelation. He is shown 



