July 22, 1922] 



NA TURE 



109 



in the pipe is also obtained. The danger of the period 

 of oscillation in the tank synchronising with the 

 governor is pointed out, and Johnson's differential surge 

 tank, introduced to overcome this difficulty, is described. 

 The concluding chapters deal with the general arrange- 

 ment of stations and water-power reports. The text 

 is clearly written and the illustrations are very good. 



F. C. L. 



Progress in Fat and Oil Chemistry. 



Chemical Technology and Analysis of Oils, Fats and 

 Waxes. By Dr. J. Lewkowitsch. Sixth edition, 

 entirely revised by G. H. Warburton. Vol. 1. Pp. 

 xviii + 682. Vol. 2. Pp. xii + 959. (London : 

 Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1922). 36s. and 425. net. 



THE successive editions of Lewkowitsch's " Oils 

 and Fats " — now carried on by his successor, 

 Mr. G. H. Warburton — are regarded almost as mile- 

 stones by those engaged, in whatever capacity, in the 

 industries based on these products, and their appear- 

 ance affords a fitting moment for taking stock. It is 

 perhaps of interest that the third edition was noticed 

 in Nature of September 22, 1904, p. 502, the fourth 

 in the issue for August 19, 1909, p. 211, and the fifth 

 in the issue for December 18, 1913, p. 449. The book 

 is now of such size that this — the sixth edition — is like 

 its predecessor, divided into three volumes of which 

 only the first two have so far appeared. The index, 

 unfortunately for the reader and the reviewer, is con- 

 fined to the third volume, so that reference to these 

 volumes is far from easy. We would strongly urge 

 that this defect in so valuable a work be rectified in the 

 future, as the temporary use of the first two volumes 

 is impaired, and the reader in the future has to go to 

 the labour of consulting two heavy volumes for the 

 desired information. 



Volume 1 as heretofore is devoted to the chemistry 

 and analysis of the fats, a side which during the last 

 decade has been relatively neglected. Volume 2, after 

 an all too brief introductory section devoted to the 

 obtaining of oils by the various methods of practice, 

 deals in detail with the properties of the several oils. 

 Volume 1 is described on the title page as entirely re- 

 written and enlarged, and volume 2, more circum- 

 spectly, as entirely revised. Both volumes, however, 

 would be more properly described as revised, as little 

 more has been done than to bring them up-to-date by 

 the addition of new matter. No doubt in the remain- 

 ing volume, which deals with a section of the subject 

 in which very great progress has been made largely as 

 the result of the altered conditions brought about by 

 the war, much will have to be rewritten, but it is 

 scarcely correct to apply this phrase to these volumes. 

 NO. 2751, VOL. I ioj 



From this point of view the new edition is frankly a 

 disappointment : opportunity might have been taken 

 to prune much which was diffuse and indefinite, and 

 really to keep the work up-to-date in a crisp form. As 

 it is, the reader at all versed in the subject will more 

 often than not experience disappointment on consult- 

 ing it, while for those who have the former edition the 

 expenditure of a somewhat large sum on the new issue 

 cannot be justified. 



It is to be regretted that the study of the chemistry 

 of fats and allied compounds is not at present fashion- 

 able amongst schools of chemical research, possibly in 

 part because of the difficulty of the subject and the 

 need to tackle it by what may be termed team work 

 before results can be obtained. However this may be, 

 the field of research is full of the most interesting 

 possibilities both in the domain of pure organic, of 

 physical and of biological chemistry. We may cite 

 the work of Hardy, Adam, Langmuir, and others in 

 this connexion, and the pioneer work on the synthesis 

 of mixed glycerides commenced by Emil Fischer just 

 before his death, with the hope that some of our workers 

 will once more be attracted into this field of inquiry. 

 Analytical work such as is embodied in volume 2 of the 

 book is of interest technically, but the number of oils 

 of prime industrial importance is limited to those which 

 can be produced in quantity, and with sufficient 

 regularity to make it an economical proposition to 

 instal the requisite machinery to deal with them. 

 Consequently, but few of the newer oils described 

 become of practical interest : the world shortage of 

 oils and fats so confidently predicted by the expert a 

 few years ago has failed to materialise, so that there is 

 no demand for new oils ; indeed, to-day most of the 

 vegetable oils are being marketed at prices unremunera- 

 tive to the grower and manufacturer. 



What is mainly wanted at the present time is far 

 greater attention to quality : in this connexion it 

 should be emphasised how little is known as to the 

 manner of production of oils in plants, and the supposed 

 change in the proportion of saturated to unsaturated 

 acids in the oil during the ripening of the seed ; also 

 the cause of the development of fatty acid in the oil 

 and its increase during storage. There is an oppor- 

 tunity for much research on the part of the biochemist 

 in this direction. 



The structure of a long open chain organic compound 

 and the points of weakness at which it is most sus- 

 ceptible to attack is a question of prime interest to the 

 chemist. The close packing hypothesis of Pope and 

 Barlow, the modern crystal structure theory of the 

 Braggs, and the recurrent spiral structure resembling 

 a drawn-out coil of wire attributed to it of others, all 

 have their adherents, and additional practical data are 



