338 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 611. 



If the Harvard Medical School does not 

 adopt some such policy it will not be able 

 to hold a leading position in this country 

 like the other departments of the univer- 

 sity, but will remain a local institution, 

 and we shall continue to hear, as often in 

 the past, the fatal excuse of expediency 

 instead of commanding ability urged in 

 behalf of a clinical man's appointment. 



F. B. Mallory. 

 Harvard Medical School. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 



A Text-look of Sanitary and Applied Ckerti- 

 istry: or The Chemistry of Water, Air and 

 Food. By E. H. S. Bailey, professor of 

 chemistry, University of Kansas. New 

 York, The Macmillan Company. Pp. xx + 

 345. $1.40. 



The purpose of this text-book on applied 

 chemistry is best stated in the author's own 

 words : 



A knowledge of the relations of health to pure 

 air, unpolluted water, and wholesome food will 

 have much to do with improvement of sanitary 

 conditions, not only of students themselves, but, 

 through them, of the people at large. The air is 

 usually said to be free, but pure air and sunshine 

 cost money, as the crowded tenements show. The 

 best lighted and ventilated rooms are worth the 

 most. * * * 



It is certainly time that the people should 

 have some practical knowledge of food and medi- 

 cine. Without this knowledge they will con- 

 tinually be imposed upon by those who have 

 something to sell which may be worthless as a 

 food, or dangerous as a medicine. * * * 



Schools and colleges are beginning to see their 

 opportunity to impart a kind of knowledge that 

 is practical and sane. * * * 



A thorough understanding of the facts of ap- 

 plied chemistry will not make the skilled work- 

 man, nor Avill the theories of chemistry make the 

 accomplished cook, but a broad and thorough 

 knowledge of the underlying principles will go 

 very far toward developing common sense in 

 hygiene and in the selection and preparation of 

 food. 



In fulfilling his purpose, the author in Part 

 I. (one third of the book) discusses air and 

 fuels in their relation to heating and ventila- 



tion, lighting by the various agents now in 

 use, vpater supply and purification, disposal of 

 household waste; he devotes a chapter to 

 cleaning, soaps and bluing, and another to 

 disinfectants. 



In view of the fact that physicians are 

 agreed that fresh air is the first requisite to 

 maintaining or regaining health, it is fitting 

 that the longest chapter in this part of the 

 book should be given to the atmosphere. A 

 partial analysis will serve to indicate the ex- 

 haust! veness with which the subject is treated: 

 History of Atmospheric Theories, Composi- 

 tion of the Air, Methods for Analysis of Air, 

 Carbon Dioxide in Free Air and in Closed 

 Rooms, Effect of Impure Air on the System, 

 Nitric Acid and Other Impurities, Ozone and 

 its Properties, Effect of Carbon Monoxide on 

 the system. Methods of Studying the Dust of 

 the Atmosphere, Bacteria in City Air, Arsenic 

 in the Air, Injurious Trades, ComiDOsition of 

 Ground Air, Effects of Ground Air on the 

 System, Offensive Gases. 



Part II. deals with food, food materials, 

 food accessories, preservatives, beverages and 

 dietaries. 



The method of treatment is substantially 

 as follows: history,, statistics of production 

 and consumption, classification of various 

 forms of a given food material, chemical com- 

 position, physical properties, methods of 

 preparation in edible form, food value. 



The lists of adulterants to be looked for 

 and the tests to discover them constitute a 

 timely feature. 



The book contains valuable tables of com- 

 position, numerous well-chosen experiments 

 for the student, and an extremely good, 

 though not exhaustive, bibliography. 



The style of the book and the directions for 

 experiments, while terse, are always clear. 



The plan is admirably adapted to the use of 

 students in the higher schools, academies, 

 agricultural colleges and technical schools. 

 The progressive college may for once waive 

 its fear of applied science, and welcome a 

 book so suggestive of lines of research. It is 

 much to be desired that every college will at 

 least have the book in its reference case. 



