November 4, 19 15] 



NATURE 



255 



that the org-anisation has to continue to depend 



its own limited resources. 



^The results secured are a great g^ain to numer- 



is corporations, water boards, and others. The 



)rk was initiated by the late Mr. G. J. Symons 



re than fifty years ago, and year by year the 



)Ours of the British Rainfall Orgfanisation have 



reased in value, whilst the results have become 



the hig-hest scientific importance to the 



j>untry. 



}^EW BOOKS ON CHEMISTRY. 



) Chemistry of Familiar Things. By S. S. 

 adtler. Pp. xiii + 320. (Philadelphia and 

 ondon : J. B. Lippincott Co., 191 5.) Price 

 :s. 6d. net. 

 First Course in Chemistry. By Prof. W. 



cPherson and Prof. W. E. Henderson. Pp. 

 + 416. (Boston and London : Ginn and Co., 



15.) Price 5s. 6d. 

 Laboratory Exercises arranged to accompany 

 First Course in Chemistry." By Prof, W. 



cPherson and Prof. W. E. Henderson. Pp. 



+ 128. (Boston and London: Ginn and Co., 

 915.) Price 25. 



Identification of Common Carbon Compounds. 

 y J. N. Rakshit. Pp. iii + 222. (Calcutta: 



e Collegian Office, 191 5.) 



THE author has attempted an important, 

 though difficult, task, that of interesting 

 unscientific person in the achievements of 

 emical science. He has applied himself to it 

 th evident zest. As he truly says, "chemistry 

 n furnish interesting subject-matter for general 

 consideration." The chapters follow one another 

 in a rough, natural sequence and cover a wide 

 field. So far as we have read, there seems to 

 be no attempt to teach or explain general prin- 

 ciples, but rather to convey information, and this 

 ■ done in a didactic manner, which admits of 

 ither hesitation nor question. Theories and 



Its are poured out with equal assurance, and 

 lote of interrogation is rarely sounded. This is 

 ; the least defect. The style is poor and not 

 rays clear ; the definitions are obscure and often 

 Ccurate, and the text abounds in incorrect 

 bntific and historical statements. We have 

 ked out a score of examples, but they would 

 fill half a column, and it seems scarcely worth 

 "hile to reproduce them. It is a misfortune that 

 book so handsomely bound, so nicely got up 



Kl well illustrated, and upon which, no doubt, 

 author has expended much labour, should con- 

 fj such poor stuff. 

 2) The theoretical and the accompanying prac- 

 il volume (3) on elementary chemistry are in- 

 NO. 2401, VOL. 96] 



tended for the beginner who does not intend to 

 pursue the subject very far, but desires such 

 information as an educated person might be 

 expected and, if we were not tied to tradition, 

 ought to possess. 



Frcm this point of view the book appears to 

 fulfil exactly the author's object. In fact, it 

 might be used with advantage as a beginner's 

 text-book, whatever later course he intended to 

 pursue. 



There is no attempt here to be popular at the 

 expense of accuracy. The authors have set before 

 themselves the task of giving a clear and logical 

 account of the outstanding facts and theories of 

 the science in a simple, attractive, and at the 

 same time soundly conscientious manner. 



Like many of the elementary chemistry books 

 produced in the States, it is profusely illustrated 

 with excellent photographs. There is much to be 

 said in favour of such illustrations. They relieve 

 the sober monotony of the letterpress and, pro- 

 vided the relief does not produce a mere picture- 

 book, no harm can be done. But there is always 

 this danger, and in the present case it has not 

 been entirely circumvented. Is any useful purpose 

 served by depicting three workmen spraying an 

 orchard with a lime-sulphur spray, or the process 

 of loading a block of sulphur on to a railway 

 truck? Why is there no diagram or photograph 

 of a sulphuric acid plant, which would be so 

 much more instructive? These are minor defects 

 and are heavily counterbalanced by the excellence 

 of the text. 



(3) The accompanying laboratory course con- 

 tains a series of simple experimental exercises, 

 carefully arranged and well chosen, to illustrate 

 the theoretical points. The student is being con- 

 stantly pulled up and a question thrust upon him. 

 If he is a conscientious student he will try to 

 answer it and so accustom himself gradually to 

 the process of interrogating himself, which is 

 the only intelligent way of studying practical 

 chemistry. 



(4) This little volume contains a carefully com- 

 piled list of common organic compounds, with 

 an account of their properties and characteristic 

 reactions, as well as a number of useful tables. 

 It is intended as a laboratory guide to the identi- 

 fication of organic compounds, and in so far 

 should afford considerable assistance to the 

 student. There is no attempt at a scheme of 

 systematic analysis of the compounds to be identi- 

 fied, but apparently a good deal of reliance is 

 placed upon the melting-points, a list of sub- 

 stances being tabulated at the end in order of 

 increasing melting-point. Whether this method 

 of identification by melting-point is useful either 



