March i, 1894] 



NATURE 



409 



leave so much to be settled by the Statutory Commission 

 that the ultimate character of the University is still 

 very doubtful. Though non-federal in theory, it may 

 be practically federal in fact, and it behoves those who 

 are interested in the matter to do all in their power to 

 protect it from the grave dangers which will beset the 

 earliest stages of its career. The position assigned to 

 Teachers, though not exactly that claimed by the Asso- 

 ciation, is so strong and so dignified that on this point 

 we hope there will be no further controversy. 



To sum up. Putting aside the relations of the Univer- 

 sity to Theology, Medicine, Law, and Music, the scheme 

 of the Commissioners is the Revised Scheme, improved 

 and modified so as to be much more closely in accord 

 with the ideas of the Association. The question as to 

 whether the University is, as far as Arts and Science are 

 concerned, practically a federation of Colleges, is left to 

 a Statutory Commission to decide. The main danger 

 with which the University is threatened is jealousy be- 

 tween semi-independent Colleges. The only safeguard 

 against this which the Commissioners suggest is that 

 they taice it for granted that everybody concerned will do 

 his best "for the progress of knowledge." To which we 

 heartily say " Amen." 



S TEREOCHEMIS TR V. 



Handbuch der Stereocheinie. Unter Mitwirkung von Dr. 



Paul Walden herausgegeben von Dr. C. A. Bischoff. 



I. Band. (Frankfurt: H. Bechhold, 1893.) 

 STEREOCHEMISTRY growsapace. Thebirth of this 

 ^^ youngest scion of the chemical family, which occurred 

 about twenty years ago, when Van't Hoff and Le Bel 

 published almost simultaneously their now famous 

 memoirs, was not greeted with universal acclamation. 

 The event excited at the time but little interest among 

 English chemists, and when the young science was 

 introduced, through F. Hermann's Lagerung der- Atome 

 ijn Rauine, to the acquaintance of our German col- 

 leagues, it was regarded not without suspicion in some 

 quarters. There was one chemist of high rank who 

 denounced the Chimie dans VEspace as " fanciful non- 

 sense," as the outcome of " a miserable speculative phi- 

 losophy, whose treatment of scientific subjects is not 

 many degrees removed from a belief in witches and 

 spirit-rapping." Stereochem.istry, however, soon found 

 a congenial home in the German laboratories, and 

 flourished marvellously. About four years ago the young 

 stripling was duly christened by Victor Meyer on the 

 occasion of an address to the German Chemical Society, 

 and thus received formal recognition as a legitimate 

 member of the chemical family. Since then three 

 general treatises have been called for in order to chronicle 

 the progress of this latest development of chemical 

 science— the " Chemistry in Space " of Van't Hoff, trans- 

 lated into English and re-edited by J. E. Marsh ; Meyer- 

 hoffer's " Stereochemie,"a later translation into German of 

 the same work with much additional matter, and the 

 admirable " Grundriss der Stereochemie,"by A. Hantzsch. 

 Following quickly in the wake of these, we have, in the 

 "Handbuch der Stereochemie," a much more elaborate 

 -and complete treatise, chiefly from the pen of Dr. C. A. 

 NO. 1270, VOL. 49] 



Bischoff, whose well-known indefatigable labours in the 

 new field of research eminently qualify him for the 

 serious task he has undertaken. 



As explained in the publishers' announcement, stereo- 

 chemistry has extended with such rapidity in recent 

 years, and the numerous theoretical and experimental 

 researches in this department are dispersed throughout so 

 many different periodicals and pamphlets, that it is not 

 easy for anyone who^has not closely followed the subject 

 from the outset, to obtain a general view of the develop- 

 ment and present stand-point of the science. The object 

 of the work before us is to remove this difficulty, and to 

 attract more adherents to the new study. The book is 

 further intended to exhibit the present position of all the 

 problems which have been touched by stereochemistry, 

 and to furnish a brief record of all the compounds which 

 have any relation to optical and geometrical isomerism, 

 so that it may serve as a convenient and reliable work 

 of reference to the investigator. 



The first volume of the treatise, extending to about 

 450 closely printed pages, comprises a general part, 

 entitled "Die historische Entwickelung der Principien 

 der Stereochemie," and the first subdivision of a special 

 part, dealing with the relations of stereochemical theory 

 to the phenomena of optical activity in organic com- 

 pounds. The second volume, which is to appear shortly, 

 will contain the remaining two subdivisions of the special 

 part, which are to treat respectively of geometrical 

 isomerism, and of the influence of intra-molecular space 

 relations on chemical reactions. 



The book has two distinct aims, which it is not easy 

 to combine. As a work of reference the " Handbuch," we 

 believe, fulfils all its claims, and will supply a much-felt 

 want. The matter throughout is well up to date, the 

 references to literature are copious, and the systematic 

 account of all the known optically active organic com- 

 pounds, which occupies more than half the volume, is 

 the only complete collection of the kind we have at the 

 present time. The organic chemist will understand the 

 force of the commendation when we describe the book, 

 from this point of view, as a stereochemical Beilstein, 

 which will be indispensable in every laboratory where 

 stereochemical research is being conducted. With re- 

 spect, however, to the other purpose of the book, that of 

 presenting a general picture of the development and 

 present position of the science, the result is less satis- 

 factory. The general part, which, judging from its title, 

 was written with this end more particularly in view, is 

 somewhat disappointing. The history of stereochemistry 

 is an extremely fascinating subject ; it contains all the 

 elements of a good sensational scientific story, mys- 

 terious facts, wild speculations, ingenious hypotheses, 

 beautifully verified predictions ; but the subject as here 

 presented is, to our mind, rather dry. The title of the 

 chapter indicates that the development of the principles 

 of stereochemistry is to be brought prominently into 

 view ; but we shall be surprised if the student, unless he 

 is already pretty familiar with the literature of the sub- 

 ject, does not rise from its perusal, so bewildered in a 

 maze of subtle speculation and conflicting hypothesis, as 

 to conclude that stereochemistry has really no principles 

 to develop. The introduction into a work of this kind of 

 the speculation and hypothesis, to which stereochemical 



