180 

Our Bookshelf. 
By Prof. H. G. Denham. 
E. Arnold and Co., 1922.) 
An Inorganic Chemistry. 
Pp. vili+684. (London : 
12s. 6d. net. 
Pror. Denna has written “ An Inorganic Chemistry ” 
for intermediate students. In this field at least half-a- 
dozen excellent text-books are already available ; but, 
perhaps for commercial reasons, additional volumes of 
similar scope continue to be produced, and the process 
may be expected to continue until each leading publisher 
is able to offer a book of this type. Prof. Denham’s 
book is well printed and nicely illustrated, and in this 
respect compares ae with other competing 
volumes. 
The author claims as a . simplityi ing factor the intro- 
duction of the periodic classification of the elements in 
the middle (instead of at the end) of the chapters on the 
non-metals ; but it is doubtful whether this policy will 
be followed by other authors, because it is obviously 
difficult to classify the elements when only two groups 
of them have been described. The policy of including 
a brief description of all the less common elements 
(except those of the “ rare earths ”’) is also of doubtful 
value, in view of the great difficulty which intermediate 
students find in becoming acquainted even with the 
common elements when they pass from the study of the 
non-metals to that of the metals. More important 
perhaps is the fact that while atomic weights are given 
at a very early stage, Avogadro’s hypothesis and the 
molecular theory are ‘postponed to Chapter IX., with 
the result that for nearly too pages hydrogen gas is 
represented as H and oxygen gas as O ; in the mean- 
time, subjects such as the theory of solutions and 
thermo-chemistry, and even valency and structural 
formulz, are discussed on this very inadequate basis. 
The author’s attention may be directed to the in- 
correct statements which result from his undue simpli- 
fication of crystal forms, which he classifies by means of 
planes of symmetry instead of by means of crystallo- 
graphic axes. It would also be well if it were clearly 
stated that the vapour-pressure curves of the different 
forms of sulphur are purely fictitious, although they 
are presented in the same attractive form as the 
solubility diagrams, which are a pleasing feature of the 
book ; it may be suggested that the omission of the 
small squares might be used to distinguish . those 
diagrams which are mere sketches from those where 
accurate data are given. T. M. L. 
Happy India as it Might Be if Guided by Modern 
Science. By A. Lupton. Pp. 188. (London: G. 
Allen and Unwin, Ltd., 1922.) 6s. net. 
Mr. Lupton in a single cold-weather tour through the 
Indian Empire has tried to solve a series of economic 
problems, which have long engaged the attention of 
administrators and men of science. He is impressed, 
as all thoughtful observers of Indian hfe must be, with 
the general poverty of the people, their exhaustion by 
malaria, and their inability to resist periodical scarcity. 
The soil is ineffectually cultivated by weak plough 
cattle, the produce is extremely low when compared 
with that of other more fortunate countries, and much 
of the scanty manure is used as fuel. Here is the 
chance of science. Why not have a chemical examina- 
NO. 2780, VOL. 111] 
NATURE 









































[ FEBRUARY 10, 1923 
tion of the soils of each district to find out what con- 
stituents are lacking ? Why not establish a fuel reserve 
in each village ? Why not lay down at every peasant’s 
door wood from the Himalayas or coal from Bengal ?- 
Why not use electricity to pump water from the wells ? _ 
Why not fill every puddle and so abolish malaria ? 
These are admirable schemes, but unfortunately the — 
Government does not possess the means of raising 
enormous loans, paying the interest, or maintaining a 
new army of officials, in the hope that some day it will 
be repaid for the cost of 7,000,000 tons of super- 
phosphates which he proposes to import, even if such 
a demand did not upset agriculture all the world over. 
It is very well to say, spend a few millions as a begin- 
ning, but this would do little to improve the situation, 
and, as he admits, there is little use in giving ignorant — 
people superphosphates if you do not at the same 
time supervise their use by a corpus of experts. 
Even to make a fuel reserve in a village means taking 
up arable land for this purpose, and the peasant does 
not like reserves because they shelter wild pig, monkeys, 
and green parrots, his greatest enemies. 
Mr. Lupton honestly admits that the Government is. 
not to be blamed because every Hindu marries and rears 
a family, resulting in congestion of the population. 
He hopes vaguely that public opinion will check this” 
abuse, but he admits that the educated Indian gentle- 
man knows or cares little about the peasantry, and tha’ 
“if the Indians govern themselves, we may be sure that 
their government will be bad.” Mr. Lupton is to be 
commended for his good intentions, his fine sense of 
humanity, but it needs practical wisdom to consider the 
problems which he has attempted to solve. 
The West Riding of Yorkshire. By Bernard Hobson. 
Pp. xii+188. (Cambridge: At the University 
Press, 1921.) 35. 6d. net. 
Mr. Bernarp Hopson had a difficult task to describe 
the West Riding of Yorkshire owing to the wealth 
of the material. The term “ Riding” means one- 
third, so that the area dealt with is only one-third 
of the county of Yorkshire; but as it includes the 
densely populated coalfield to the south and the lime- 
stone moors to the north-west, it contains areas of 
special importance and interest. Mr. Hobson has not 
only compiled an instructive summary i the ge 
has also presented it in a form interesting chroueheed t. 
The most important geographical feature of the a 
subterranean river system. The industrial districts 
include many important cities; the author’s account 
of Sheffield is of especial interest. The history of 
man in the area dates from Neolithic times, for Mr. 
Hobson tells us that no undoubted trace of Palzo- 
lithic man has yet been found, though abundant 
remains occur only three miles from the Yorks 
border. The area is especially rich in archeolog 
and historical monuments. In the chapter on— 
architecture it is remarked that the professio 
architect arose in the period of James I., before which 
building had been in the hands of the builder and 
craftsman. Apparently, therefore, the end of the gr 
age of building in England synchronises with the 
of the professional architect. 
