September 30, 1922] 



NA TURE 



445 



Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 

 Bulletin No. 6. On the Electro-Deposition of Iron : 

 With an Appendix containing a bibliography of the 

 subject. By W. E. Hughes. Pp. iv+50. (London: 

 H.M. Stationery Office, 1922.) 6s. 6d. net. 

 The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 

 has rendered electrometallurgists signal service by 

 the recent publication of this monograph, written by 

 and containing the results of work by Mr. W. E. 

 Hughes, formerly Chief Research Chemist to the 

 Electrometallurgieal Committee of the Ministry of 

 Munitions, and already favourably known for his 

 publications in this particular field. The present 

 brochure contains, within the compass of fifty pages, 

 a systematic study of the effect of current density, 

 temperature, and mechanical movement on the nature 

 of the cathodic deposit of iron formed from ferrous 

 chloride solutions. The deposits were photomicro- 

 graphed in every case, and the resulting numerous 

 illustrations, excellently reproduced, are of consider- 

 able interest. 



The view upheld by the author is that the effects 

 of these different factors can all be satisfactorily 

 explained if the formation of a crystalline cathodic 

 metal deposit can be regarded as being governed by 

 conditions similar to those which regulate the nature 

 of a crystalline deposit formed from, say, a molten 

 mass of metal, a fused rock magma, or an aqueous 

 solution. It cannot be said that the view is quite 

 novel. It .has certainly been " in the air " for some 

 little time. The striking work of von Weimarn, for 

 example, if considered in connexion with the effect 

 of colloidal additions to an electrolyte on the nature 

 of the cathodic deposit, could not but suggest a close 

 similarity between the nature of the phenomena of 

 electrolytic deposition and precipitation from aqueous 

 solutions. But to Mr. Hughes belongs the credit of 

 stating the analogy in unequivocal language, and of 

 bringing to it a very large measure of experimental 

 support. The variations in crystal structure observed 

 by him are correlated very satisfactorily with changes 

 in the experimental conditions mentioned above, 

 changes which bring about quite similar variations in 

 the nature of crystallisation from other types of 

 systems. 



It should be added that an excellent bibliography 

 of the subject is given in the form of an appendix. 



Catalogue of the Fossil Bryozoa {Polyzoa) in the Depart- 

 ment of Geology, British Museum (Natural History). 

 The Cretaceous Bryozoa (Polyzoa). Vol. 4 : The 

 Cribrimorphs. Part 2. By Dr. W. D. Lang. Pp. 

 12+404 + 8 plates. (London: British Museum 

 (Natural History), 1922.) il. 12s. 6d. 

 Those who use this volume will bear in mind the 

 illuminating morphological introduction provided by 

 the author in its predecessor (see Nature, vol. 108, 

 p. 39). The numerous lithographs are from the artistic 

 drawings of Miss G. M. Woodward, and the author again 

 furnishes vigorous text-illustrations showing the specific 

 orthcecia (normal zocecia) and the accompanying 

 aviculcecia, which are the skeletons of the modified 

 polypides that defend the colony. The variety of 

 form, position, and number in the aviculcecia will 

 surprise those who are not specialists. The general 



NO. 2761, VOL. I 10] 



account of the genus Pelmatopora (pp. 241-253) is a 

 good example of Dr. Lang's attractive method of 

 dealing with Nature's species-making, here styled 

 " evolutionary activity." In this case the whole of 

 the thirty-eight species are derived from zones in the 

 Senonian. G. A. J. C. 



Pope's Manual of Nursing Procedure. By Amy E. 

 Pope. Pp. xi + 596. (New York and London : 

 G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1919.) Price 155. 

 This book has been prepared more especially to 

 facilitate practical instruction in the work usually 

 included in the probationer's first year of training. 

 In each section a consideration of the principles under- 

 lying the various nursing procedures is followed by 

 a description of demonstrations of the methods involved. 

 In this way, and with frequent reference to physiology, 

 the author associates theory with practice. 



There are a few errors and omissions ; in the descrip- 

 tion of Fowler's position, a right angle is represented 

 diagrammatically and in the text as ioo° ; and in the 

 list of prescription abbreviations and symbols no 

 mention is made of the commonest in use, that for 

 " thrice daily." The use of more illustrations would 

 enable a reduction to be made in the length of descrip- 

 tions of technique. The book is more suitable for 

 the guidance of the instructor than as a manual for 

 the probationer. 



Precis d'Arithmetique. Par J. Poiree. Pp. x + 63. 

 (Paris : Gauthier-Villars et Cie, 1921.) 7.50 francs. 

 M. Poiree has not written a book on arithmetic in 

 the sense of a school text-book : it can be more accur- 

 ately described as an introduction to the theory of 

 arithmetic. Although the author sets out with care 

 and precision the main ideas underlying arithmetical 

 processes — " the why and the mechanism of each 

 operation " — yet there is no attempt made to teach 

 the subject. The book is very interesting — is there 

 a French book on mathematics that does not make 

 pleasant reading ? A quarter of the space is devoted 

 to the fundamental theorems of the theory of numbers, 

 and in fact all through the book there is an evident 

 suggestion that the author is aiming at the theory of 

 numbers. Numerical illustrations of the processes are 

 given, but there are no exercises for the student to 

 work out himself. S. B. 



Practical Physics. By W. R. Bower and Prof. J. 



Satterly. Eighth impression (second edition). Pp. 



xi+422. (London: University Tutorial Press, Ltd., 



1922.) 75. 

 A distinctive feature of this text-book of practical 

 physics is the inclusion of a considerable number of 

 experiments which may be performed by the student 

 at home, using very simple apparatus. In the second 

 edition a supplement has been added containing a 

 number of additional experiments. These are con- 

 cerned with Fletcher's trolley apparatus, coefficients 

 of friction, Mariotte's bottle, surface tension, expansion 

 of solids, thermal conductivity, photometers, and 

 critical angles. The importance of avoiding eye- 

 strain has not been sufficiently considered in the 

 mathematical tables at the end of the volume. 



