November 15, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



653 



science. Manufacturing processes afford 

 many examples of change which are not car- 

 ried to completion ; it is important to know 

 how far the operation can be improved to 

 afford a larger yield, a purer product or 

 less waste. Combustible gases issue from 

 the blast furnaces. There is still a great 

 reducing power in this mixture of carbon 

 monoxid with carbon dioxid. Can it be 

 utilized by enlarging the furnace ? Immense 

 furnaces were built in order to secure a 

 larger yield of iron, but the results were 

 disappointing. The law of mass action 

 shows that the equation 



Fe. O3+3 CO = 2 Fe+3 CO2 



is limited by certain conditions of equilib- 

 rium, and that the ratio of the two oxids 

 of carbon could not be greatly improved 

 over that already secured in practice. The 

 expense of a technological experiment 

 might have been saved, had the indications 

 of mathematical chemistry been heeded. 



What hopeless confusion seems to pre- 

 vail in our present knowledge of solubili- 

 ties ; yet how important in the separations 

 required for chemical analysis. Here, 

 again, we deal with questions of equilib- 

 rium. Will work be done at the expense 

 of heat or not ? 



There are two special difficulties in the 

 general application of thermodynamical 

 principles; first, the minor' premise is often 

 wanting; and, second, the mathematical 

 form of reasoning is often difficult for the 

 best laboratory workers. Among the pub- 

 lished data of thermo-chemistry, some have 

 been determined directly, some indirectly; 

 it is often difficult to find the data desired 

 or to judge of their accuracy. A critical 

 compilation of all available thermal data, 

 conveniently arranged for reference, with at 

 least some indication of the probable errors, 

 would be very desirable. Many such data 

 might be computed indirectly from ex- 

 perimental determinations of equilibrium. 



Many empirical equations have been com- 

 puted, showing solubility as a function of 

 temperature. Who will trace the correla- 

 tion among such, and thus add a large 

 chapter to thermo-chemistry? What 

 genius shall discover that form of mathe- 

 matical function that shall substitute ra- 

 tional for empirical equations with a clear 

 interpretation for each constant required? 

 " But this work is mathematical rather than 

 chemical," you will say. Yes, it is applied 

 mathematics; and mathematicians (not be- 

 ing chemists) are not likely to iindertake 

 such a task for us, unless we ask theii* 

 counsel and aid. Specialization is inevi- 

 table; yet by too arbitrary a specialization, 

 we may inadvertently lose the very help 

 we need. Again would I emphasize the 

 fruitfulness which follows a ' cross-fertiliza- 

 tion of the sciences.'* Judging from the 

 advances recorded in late years, especially 

 in the ' Zeitschrift fur physikalisclie Chemie,' it 

 is safe to predict great developments for the 

 rising generation. I heartily echo the 

 sentiment that we need more data; yet 

 great stores of observations upon record 

 have not yet been coordinated and put to 

 use. Ostwald, desiring to know the influ- 

 ence of free iodin upon a reduction pro- 

 cess, made three series of determinations 

 (twenty-four in all) from which he con- 

 cludes that the influence is not proportional 

 to the mass. It was no part of his purpose 

 to discover what the law of retardation is; 

 but others might well follow out this clue, 

 using also the data supplied by Meyei'hoffer, 

 and supplementing these with further ex- 

 periments if needed. A glance at the liter- 

 ature of solubilities, and the lack of ra- 

 tional formulas to express broad generali- 

 zations, may convince us that a great mine, 

 with abundant ore ' in sight,' is awaiting 

 development; or, rather, that ore has been 

 run through a stamp mill to extract half 

 the gold, while fully half still remains in 

 * Jour. Amer. Chem. Soo. 15, 601 (1893). 



