NA TURE 



[November 3, 1S98 



their ignorance. Xo doubt, the best way to approach 

 analysis is through preliminary practical work in which 

 typical substances are prepared by typical reactions, and 

 subjected to a careful qualitative and quantitative study ; 

 but no one has yet given a really good lead in this direc- 

 tion, though several books of inorganic preparations 

 have appeared in recent years. 



Sooner or later the serious student of chemistry must 

 enter upon the systematic study of analysis, and the 

 selection of a good handbook becomes an important 

 matter. It has been the habit for writers on analysis to 

 confine themselves almost entirely to the technique of 

 the subject, and among the scores of books written a fair 

 number might be named as trustworthy guides in the 

 processes of qualitative and quantitative analysis. At 

 the head of these stands the well-known work of 

 Fresenius — a monument of industry and care. It must 

 be recognised, however, that Fresenius' book is essentially 

 an analytical dictionar>-. If it be an object in the teach- 

 ing of analysis — and it is surely, for the general student^ 

 the chief object— to make the learner familiar with the 

 philosophy of the subject, the use of Fresenius and the 

 smaller versions of Fresenius must be supplemented by 

 something else, either in the way of oral teaching or 

 literature. The circumstances of few laboratories permit 

 of the constant personal supervision which is necessary 

 to keep an analytical student straight on the theoretical 

 side of his work, and thus the possession of a book 

 which really grapples with the chemistry of analytical 

 reactions becomes indispensable. It is, however, only 

 recently that a book adequately fulfilling this purpose 

 has appeared in the English language, though a little- 

 known manual published by the late Prof Dittmar, in 

 1876, deserves respectful mention. In Germany (and 

 doubtless in Russia) for many years Menschutkin's 

 book has occupied the place in question. Menschutkin 

 does not pretend to be an exhaustive compendium of 

 analytical processes ; it contains no tables ; it lays down 

 no laws for the treatment of a solution containing a 

 limited number of acids or bases ; yet Menschutkin has 

 the stamp of individuality and real science, which make 

 it not unworthy of companionship with MendelejefTs 

 Principles. It was the only book on analysis which 

 Bunsen, who had a horror of the analytical " Bradshaw," 

 would allow to appear in his laboratory. It is to be 

 hoped that through its English translation the book has 

 become better known in this country. 



One more type of work on analysis, and only one, can 

 be mentioned. Ostwald's " Scientific Foundations of 

 Analytical Chemistry " is a book sui generis. The view 

 taken of this book will depend entirely on whether the 

 reader finds the preamble proven. If the ionic theor>' of 

 solution be accepted, there can be no doubt of the re- 

 markable coherence and symmetry of Prof Ostwald's 

 adaptation of it to the facts and processes of analysis. 

 The book is well worth the attention of any one who 

 may have lightly taken up a mere prejudice against the 

 ionic theory. 



Of the books at present before us, two are of consider- 

 able interest as being out of the common style. Mr. 

 Newth, who is well known as the author of a book of 

 lecture e.'cperiments, and one on inorganic chemistry, both 

 NO. I 5 14, VOL. 59] 



characterised by many excellent features, has now pro- 

 duced a manual of analysis which is no less satisfactory. 

 It is written much in the style of Menschutkin, that is to 

 say, it is thoroughly explanatory. At the same time there 

 is no lack of plain practical directions for the conduct of 

 analytical work. The book gives evidence throughout of 

 having been written by a skilled analyst and a thoughtful 

 chemist, whilst the frequent asides — sometimes beseech- 

 ing, sometimes scornful — show that the author has tasted 

 the sorrows of a teacher of analysis. Beginning with a 

 chapter of preliminary manipulative exercises, the book 

 proceeds to detail and explain the reactions of the metals 

 in the order of the analytical groups. Two chapters follow 

 on the conduct of a qualitative analysis and the statement 

 of results. The second part of the book deals with 

 quantitative analysis, including electrolytic analysis, gas 

 analysis and organic analysis, concluding with a section 

 on miscellaneous physico-chemical determinations. This 

 brief summary of contents will, of course, give little idea 

 of the real character of the book, yet it is impossible to 

 enter minutely into either explanation or criticism of a 

 work so full of details. The least satisfactory part is 

 the first chapter dealing with the important matter of 

 manipulation. In the first place it must be remarked 

 that the essentials of manipulation should have been 

 learned long before the systematic study of analysis 

 is commenced, and a student who is at all ready to 

 enter upon the second chapter of Mr. Newth's book 

 will very probably resent the instruction to mix hydro- 

 chloric acid and charcoal in order to see how the 

 charcoal may be filtered off and washed. Such ele- 

 mentary instructions are doubtless useful in their place ; 

 but their juxtaposition with chapters on systematic 

 analysis only tends to confirm the practice of plunging 

 students of practical chemistry prematurely into ana- 

 lytical work. It would at least have been better if this 

 intention had been disclaimed. The instructions them- 

 selves also call for some comment. Xo recommendation 

 is made of the filter-pump for qualitative analysis, an 

 omission which, in the opinion of the present writer, is very 

 regrettable. It is true that in the hands of a careless and 

 uncontrolled student a vigorous filter-pump is a source 

 of moral degradation, but, in other hands, it is. with 

 limited exhaustion, perhaps the chief aid to dispatch, 

 neatness, and even accuracy. The instructions given by 

 Mr. Xewth for evaporation, neutralisation, the use of 

 borax beads, and the removal of precipitates seem to 

 show that many of Bunsen's helpful artifices are still un- 

 known in England. Other useful things which do not 

 seem to be described by Mr .Xewth, are the Gooch crucible 

 and the perforated disc porcelain funnel. The writer 

 would also here recommend the process of separating 

 barium, strontium and calcium by means of nitric acid, 

 described by Dr. S. G. Rawson in the number of the 

 Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry for last 

 February. 



An addition that may well be made to a future edition 

 is a plain statement about the rational use of figures in 

 quantitative analysis. It is astonishing how little atten- 

 tion is paid by chemists to the significance of figures in 

 the statement of an analytical result, and how seldom 

 students are taught to let their recorded numbers bear a 



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