OcTOBER 30, 1913] 
NATURE 
265 
with the Wagners, and it is its main weakness 
that it fails to make clear the reason either for the 
intensity or for the abrupt end of this devotion. 
The translation is quite satisfactory, and some 
excellent portraits add much to the book’s effec- 
tiveness. 
TEXT-BOOKS ON HEAT. AND 
THERMODYNAMICS. 
{1) An Introduction to the Mathematical Theory 
of Heat Conduction. With engineering and geo- 
logical applications. By Prof. L. R. Inger- 
soll and O. J. Zobel. Pp. vit+171. (London 
and Boston: Ginn and Co., n.d.) Price 7s. 6d. 
(2) The Laws of Thermodynamics. By W. H. 
Macaulay. Pp. viii+71. (Cambridge: Univer- 
sity Press, 1913.) Price 3s. net. 
(3) A Text-book of Thermodynamics (with special 
reference to Chemistry). By J. R. Partington. 
Pp. viiit544. (London: Constable and Co., 
Ltd., 1913.) Price 14s. net. 
(4) Lehrbuch der Thermodynamik. 
sungen von Dr. J. D. v. d. Waals. 
Nach Vorle- 
Bearbeitet 
von Dr. Ph. Kohnstamm. Zweiter Teil. Pp. 
xvi+646. (Leipzig: J. A. Barth, 1912.) Price 
12 marks. 
(5) Lecons de Thermodynamique. By Dr. Max 
Planck. Avec une conference du méme a la 
Société chimique de Berlin sur Le Théoréme de 
Nernst et L’Hypothése des Quante. Ouvrage 
traduit sur la troisiéme édition allemande (aug- 
mentée). By R. Chevassus. Pp. 310. (Paris: 
A. Hermann et Fils, 1913.) Price 12 francs. 
(1) HIS book is the outcome of the authors’ 
teaching experience, and as one might 
expect, covers the ground usually required for a 
university degree. The subject-matter includes the 
Fourier equation, the steady flow of heat in one 
and more than one dimension, periodic flow in one 
dimension, Fourier’s series applied to the linear 
flow of heat in the case of an infinite as well as 
semi-infinite solid, heat sources, slab and radiating 
rod, and in addition radial flow, instantaneous heat 
source at a point, sphere with surface at constant 
temperature, sphere cooled by radiation, and the 
general case of heat flow in an infinite medium. 
The concluding chapter deals with the formation 
of ice. The appendix contains a list of values for 
the thermal conductivities and emissivity factors, 
as well as the more commonly occurring integrals 
and miscellaneous formule. The striking feature 
about the book is the prominence which is given to 
the experimental applications of the expressions 
derived. These belong mainly to engineering, 
though the student of pure physics will find many 
of them of considerable interest. 
NO. 2296, VOL. 92| 
' 
At the end of ! 
each chapter there are a number of problems to 
be worked out. As the work covers a relatively 
large field the authors have had to restrict them- 
selves to typical cases. Full references are given, 
however, on particular points to larger works and 
original papers. The authors have compiled a 
very useful text-book of moderate size, which 
should appeal to a fairly wide circle of readers. 
(2) This monograph contains a succinct account 
of the fundamental principles of thermodynamics. 
The writer has been singularly happy in combining 
precision and accuracy of statement with remark- 
able lucidity and readableness. Although he warns 
us in the preface that the tract should be read 
“in conjunction with other information,” it ought 
to be found by no means beyond the grasp of the 
beginner. The subject is presented, in the first 
instance, from the engineer’s point of view, though 
the nature of the publication is such as to pre- 
clude any very detailed illustrations of an applied 
character: This has the advantage, however, of 
making the work more interesting to the general 
reader. The author commences by explaining 
perfect differentials, and then passes on to the first 
and second laws and the four thermodynamic rela- 
tions. In addition to the perfect gas, considerable 
space is devoted to the treatment of wet and dry 
steam, and a short account of the lead accumu- 
lator. The monograph as a whole forms a very 
excellent introduction to engineering thermo- 
dynamics. 
(3) The first sixteen chapters of Mr. Parting- 
ton’s “ Thermodynamics ” represent a very full and 
detailed account of the classical theory along the 
usual lines. The two final chapters of the book 
deal rather briefly—considering the growing im- 
portance of the subject—with Nernst’s heat 
theorem and the theory of energy quanta. The 
reader is assumed to be fairly well equipped as far 
as mathematics is concerned, and for chemists, at 
any rate, the book will in places make fairly severe 
reading. All the thermodynamic potentials 
(Gibbs’ p included) are freely employed, as well as 
the cycle method. Perhaps the least satisfactory 
is the chapter on electrochemistry. An English 
book dealing with thermodynamics from the 
chemical point of view is rather badly wanted, 
however, and Mr. Partington’s deserves to meet 
with a good reception. 
(4) As anyone familiar with van der Waals’ 
writings will anticipate, the present work is by no 
means. a text-book of thermodynamics in the 
ordinary sense of the term. This second volume, 
like the first (which appeared in 1908), is based 
upon Prof. van der Waals’ lectures, the material 
being edited for the Press by Prof. Kohnstamm. 
As the sub-title expressly states, this volume deals 
