578 
NATURE 
[AucustT 8, 1912 
book is necessary or warrantable. “It assumes 
that the human organism, like all others living on 
the surface of the earth planet, is a machine; and 
it assumes that there is no evidence that this 
machine is not a machine in all respects, like any 
engine which is the creation of man.” But this is 
an assumption that we dare not scientifically make ; 
it gives a false simplicity to the facts, and it does 
not work out. 
RECENT BOOKS ON CHEMISTRY. 
(1) Organic Chemistry. By Prof. W. H. Perkin, 
F.R.S., and Prof. F. Stanley Kipping, F.R.S. 
Pp. xi+664+xx. Entirely new edition. (Lon- 
don and Edinburgh: W. and R. Chambers, 
Il, nope) line GS Gel. 
(2) An Experimental Course of Physical Chemistry. 
Part ii.—‘ Dynamical Experiments.” By Dr. 
James I’. Spencer. Pp. xvi+256. (London: 
G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1911.) Price 3s. 6d. 
(3) A First Year Physical Chemistry. By Dr. 
Ta PS sulditch] bp asst 70: (London : 
Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1912.) Price 2s. 
(Text-books of Science.) 
(4) Physico-Chemical Calculations. By Dr. Joseph 
Knox. Pp. viiit+188. (London: Methuen and 
Co., Ltd., 1912.) Price 2s. 6d. (Text-books of 
Science.) 
(5) Practical Chemistry for Engineering Students. 
By Arthur J. Hale. With an introductory note 
by Brof. IR: Meldolay haR oS. Pp. xx--192% 
(London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1912.) 
Price 3s. net. 
(6) A School Chemistry. 
G. W. Hedley. Pp. 
By F. R. L. Wilson and 
xxii+572. (Oxford: the 
Clarendon Press; London, Edinburgh, New 
York, Toronto, and Melbourne: Henry Frowde, 
1912.) Price 4s. 6d. 
(7) Notions Fondamentales d’Analyse Qualitative. 
By Prof. V. Thomas and D. Gauthier. Pp. viil+ 
331. (Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1912.) Price 
10 francs. 
(1) HE new edition of Perkin and Kipping’s 
” 
“Organic Chemistry ” embodies all the 
familiar features of the earlier editions. But the 
material of the Appendix has now been incor- 
porated in Parts i. and il., and new chapters or 
sections have been added, dealing with subjects 
such as the Grignard reagents, the configuration 
of the carbohydrates, and the cyclo-parafins. In 
its revised form the book will carry on effectively 
the useful work of the former editions as a stan- 
dard text-book of organic chemistry. 
(2) The second part of Dr. Spencer’s “ Experi- 
mental Course of Physical Chemistry” describes 
the methods to be used in carrying out a number 
” 
of ‘‘dynamical experiments ”’ on mass-action, elec- 
NO, 2232, VOL. 89] 
| compounds. 
trolysis, thermo-chemistry, and radio-activity. To 
those who are already familiar with the first part 
of the work no further commendation of the 
volume now issued will be needed. 
..(3) The production of a “First Year Physical 
Chemistry ” is an interesting sign of the importance 
that is now attached to a subject that has attracted 
to itself so large a proportion of workers in both 
branches (organic and inorganic) of pure chemis- 
try. But Dr. Hilditch’s book is of greater 
importance than its unassuming title would sug- 
gest. Whereas so many text-books of physical 
chemistry bear upon almost every line of their text 
| the imprint ‘“‘made in Germany,” Dr. Hilditch has 
written a book that is refreshingly new in its point 
of view, and one which would make an excellent 
basis for a larger volume on the subject. It is 
remarkable to how large an extent English writers 
who have come under the influence of the German 
school of physical chemistry have based their 
exposition upon Continental lecture courses, 
attaching excessive importance to those topics 
which have been included in the syllabus of 
the Continental schools, and ignoring or neglect- 
ing work of fundamental importance which has 
been done in their own country. Dr. Hilditch has 
written a well-balanced book, in which ions are 
regarded as of less importance than atoms, and 
dilute solutions are not allowed to monopolise an 
undue proportion of the space available. He has 
thus found room to describe Sir William Perkin’s 
work on magnetic rotatory power, and has devoted 
an exceptional amount of attention to the physical 
chemistry (including the optical rotation) of organic 
The chapter on “Crystalline Struc- 
ture” covers less than six pages, but is an admir- 
able summary of the salient points. 
(4) Dr. Knox has put together a series of 365 
problems, to many of which full solutions are given 
in the text. The book will be very useful to those 
whose fortune it is to be tested by examiners who 
believe in numerical exercises as a test of exact 
knowledge in physical chemistry. 
(5) Mr. Hale is one of those who are engaged 
in teaching chemistry to students who, “ preparing 
for some particular profession or industry,” fail 
(as Prof. Meldola points out in an introductory 
note) “to realise the importance of subjects which 
they regard as being outside their own province.” 
Mr. Hale’s solution of the problem of securing 
efficient instruction for such students depends on 
using those facts with which they are most familiar 
and to which they attach most importance, in order 
to prove and illustrate the fundamental laws and 
principles of chemistry. In the book under 
review the engineer’s point of has been 
specially studied, and a course of preparations, 
qualitative and quantitative analysis, is described 
’ 
view 
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