106 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 6SI 



a quiet part of the river which freezes over 

 entirely in cold weather rather than from a 

 point on or helow the rapids where frazil is 

 formed in, great quantities. 



The most important parts of the book are 

 those dealing with the formation of anchor- 

 ice and frazil, and Dr. Barnes's temperature 

 observations. The small section on glacier 

 motion is hardly in accord with the present 

 ideas of glacialists. 



To any one interested in the engineering 

 problems brought about by ice, or in the gen- 

 eral phenomena of ice formation this book will 

 be extremely interesting and useful. 



Haeky Fielding Eeid 



Johns Hopkins Universitt, 

 Baltimoee 



The Chemistry of Commerce, A Simple In- 

 terpretation of some new Chemistry in its 

 Relation to Modern Industry. By Robert 

 Kennedy Duncan. New York and London, 

 Hiirper and Brothers. 1907. 

 This is a book intended by its author " to 

 interpret into simple terms and for educated 

 lay-folk some new science in its relation to 

 modern industry." The author seems to have 

 realized the difEculty involved in this problem 

 which he had planned for himself or which 

 had been submitted to him by others. Wliether 

 the " one object of the book " indicated in the 

 opening sentence of the introductory chapter, 

 " to convince the manufacturer, through in- 

 stances taken here and there, how absolutely 

 applicable is modem science, to the economy 

 and progress of manufacturing operations " 

 will have been attained through it remains to 

 be seen. Certainly it is not easy to make a 

 manufacturer, prosperous in spite of his 

 wastes, realize the importance of the econ- 

 omies which may be discovered and applied 

 through the aid of thoroughly educated men, 

 and lead him to the practical application of 

 such economies. Adversity and active compe- 

 tition are the influences which are most eiiect- 

 ive in bringing about such policy, wise, at 

 all times, and it is exceedingly doubtful if it 

 can be brought about by even the most at- 

 tractive presentation of generalities — carefully 

 prepared balance sheets are far more interest- 



ing and intelligible to the manufacturers of 

 this country at least ; and while the author has 

 made a most interesting and readable book, it 

 will, we fear, be read with closer attention and 

 appreciation by those lay-readers who least 

 need it, in view of the object of its prepara- 

 tion. In twelve chapters the following sub- 

 jects have been treated: Catalysis, Fixation of 

 Nitrogen, Eare earths and their uses. High 

 Temperatures and Modern Industry, Modern 

 Chemistry and Glass-making, Industrial Alco- 

 hol, Floral Perfumes, Making of Medicines, 

 Microbe Inoculation, Cellulose, Industrial Fel- 

 lowship. Each subject furnishes the author 

 with illustrations of the imx3ortance of the ap- 

 plication of scientij&c methods and the truths 

 they develop, in industrial work. Manu- 

 facturers who are inclined or are desirous to 

 proceed in rational ways to attain the best 

 results in quantity and qiiality of product and 

 in cost of operation, must certainly be at- 

 tracted by what the author has presented. 

 But those who most need the book will not, 

 we fear, read it; while those who will read 

 it need it least. Yet those of us who know 

 the full truth of all that is presented in the 

 book will at least hope that it may be widely 

 read and that the suggestions it offers may 

 find extended application not only for the 

 good of manufacturers, bxit for the world at 

 large. The book then is generally acceptable, 

 but it may be criticized by some readers on 

 account of the statement to be found on page 

 177. " But this was in the days long ago . . . 

 when experimental medicine was carried on by 

 physicians like Paracelsus, who stood by the 

 bedside of his patient, watch in hand," etc. 

 Many readers will remember that the first 

 watch was made one hundred yeare or more 

 after the death of Paracelsus. Such pleas- 

 antries seem out of place in such a book and 

 the technical description of the analytical 

 method for standardizing drugs involving 

 " dissolving out with chloroform and ulti- 

 mately titrating them with sulphuric acid " 

 will scarcely attract the lay-reader. The use 

 of the word " dubiety," when the more fami- 

 liar " doubt " would serve, may unfavorably 

 affect some of the lay-readers the book is 

 specially intended to influence favorably. 



