436 
NATURE 
| SEPTEMBER 4, 1902 
We venture to think, too, that the work suffers to some 
extent by the mode in which its parts have been put 
together. It is necessarily somewhat mosaic in character, 
and there is a certain want of harmony and continuity 
of arrangement. No doubt this is due to the difficulty of 
dealing with so large a body of contributors, all of whom 
are working independently. But these, after all, are 
minor blemishes, and do not seriously detract from the 
very great value of the compilation. We heartily con- 
gratulate Dr. Oliver and his colleagues on the production 
of a work which will unquestionably take high rank in 
the literature of sanitary reform. 
T. E. THORPE. 
THE NEW INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE. 
International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. First 
Annual Issue. D. Chemistry, Parti. Pp. xiv + 
468. (1902.) Price 21s. 
HIS is the second instalment of the work of the 
International Catalogue Bureau, the first (part i. 
of Botany) having been reviewed in our issue of July 3 
(p. 217). In a notice on p. xiv. it is explained that in 
consequence of the difficulties attending the complete 
organisation of the work of the regional bureaus some 
delay has arisen, and it is hoped that the second part of 
the volume will be published in a few months. In start- 
ing a colossal work such as this “ International Cata- 
logue,” delay was inevitable, and it is to be hoped that 
when the different bureaus. are in working order the 
volumes will be published more closely to the period to 
which they refer. On the title-page it is stated that the 
MS. for this volume was completed in January, 1902, so 
we presume that both parts 1. and ii. will deal with the 
year 1901 only. 
It is reported that although the seventeen annual volumes 
which constitute the ‘“‘ Catalogue ” will, as a rule, contain 
the work of twelve months, yet they will not all refer to 
one calendar year ; probably it is impossible to avoid this 
arrangement so as to maintain the work of the Central 
Bureau at a uniform rate, but it would certainly be con- 
venient to scientific workers if, for each science, all the 
papers of one calendar year could be collected into one 
volume. No doubt the title-page of each volume will 
indicate the period over which the papers indexed extend, 
but the annual arrangement, if practicable, would appear 
to be much more convenient. 
The authors’ catalogue is contained in 111 pages with 
2455 entries ; in this the authors’ surnames are printed 
in Clarendon type with the Christian names in Roman ; 
when initials only are given in the original paper, the 
remainder of the name is placed in square brackets ; when 
a paper is by more than one author, only the name of the 
first is in thick type. The complete title is given, usually 
in the language in whichthe paper is written. In the 
case of languages other than English, French, German 
and Italian, a translation of the title in one of these four 
languages follows the original ; in some instances, how- 
ever, translations only are given, the names of the original 
languages being placed in brackets. Then follow the 
abbreviated titles of the periodicals, with the complete 
reference to volume, year and pages of beginning and 
ending of the paper, the number of the pages being in 
NO. 1714, VUL. 66] 
parentheses. The registration numbers are placed in 
square brackets, and when the papers deal with other 
sciences in addition to chemistry, the letters and registra- 
tion numbers of these sciences are included. The papers 
are numbered consecutively, these numbers concluding 
the entries. At the commencement of the volume, the 
scheglule of chemistry, with registration numbers, is 
printed in English, French, German and Italian ; and at 
the end there is a list of the periodicals with their full 
titles and the abbreviations used in the “ Catalogue.” 
The subject catalogue occupies 283 pages, and is ar- 
ranged in the order of the registration numbers. At the 
top of each page the registration number is given in thick 
type and is easily seen. Each division is marked with 
the registration number and the corresponding subject 
as a heading. The numbers are here also printed in 
thick type and the subject in Roman capitals, but they 
do not catch the eye so well as could be wished ; the 
subsidiary titles are in Clarendon with capital initials, 
and are more easily seen than the heading of the division ; 
thus on p. 195 the heading “ Zinc Oxide” is very visible, 
whereas the heading “ Zinc” at the commencement of the 
division is not so clearly shown. 
In the subject catalogue the entries are, as a rule, 
reprints of the corresponding entries of the authors? 
catalogue, commencing with the authors’ names in 
Clarendon and, if the papers belong to more than one 
division, concluding with the registration numbers other 
than those of the division under which the entries are 
made. The entries are repeated under each registration 
number. As in a subject catalogue the authors’ names 
are not of the first importance, it would be better, if it 
were possible, to give prominence to the subject. The 
title of a paper does not always indicate its contents, and 
we are glad to see that in many of the papers from 
English serials a title is given in square brackets which 
shows much more effectually the contents of the papers 
than the original heading ; thus in the authors’ catalogue 
occurs the following entry :—‘ Frankland, Percy Fara- 
day and Farmer, Robert Crosbie. Liquid Nitrogen 
Peroxide as a Solvent. London, /. Chem. Soc., 79, 
IOI (1356-1373) . . . . [0490 7100 7250]” In the sub- 
ject catalogue under ‘“o4go Nitrogen,” subdivision 
“Nitrogen Oxides,” the same entry occurs, with the 
registration numbers [7100 7250]. Under “7100 Mass 
Properties,” subdivision “ Molecular Weights,” after the 
names of the authors there follows “[Molecular weight 
determinations in liquid nitrogen peroxide by the ebullio- 
scopic method],” with the registration numbers [0490 
7250]. Under “7250 Electrical and Magnetic Properties,” 
subdivision “ Conductivity,  e find the names followed by 
“(Conductivity of solutions in liquid nitrogen peroxide],” 
with the numbers [o490 7100]. It will be seen that the 
last two subjects cannot be inferred from the title of the 
paper, and there must be many other cases of the same 
kind. The subject catalogue is much increased in value 
by this indication of the contents of the papers, for which 
we are indebted to the activity of the English Bureau, 
or perhaps more definitely to that of Mr. Ernest Gould- 
ing, the referee for this volume. It would be a great 
boon if the other regional bureaus could be induced to 
give this partial analysis of the papers. It may be 
replied that the fact of the reference being placed under 
