June 2, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



783 



IToteworthy among the special topics studied 

 by Mr. Kaye are the Hindu methods of solving 

 the equation Du- .-|- 1 == t^, beginning with 

 Brahmagupta in the seventh century, together 

 with a conspectus of the indeterminate prob- 

 lems dealt with in India. The problems of the 

 rational right triangle and the value of tt, 

 attractive ones to the Hindu writers from 

 Brahmagupta on, are also studied by Mr. 

 Kaye and two helpful synopses are given. A 

 brief study of the connection between Chinese 

 and Hindu mathematics is also given, and the 

 proof which is adduced seems to be valid that 

 Mahavir, in the ninth century, was acquainted 

 with certain Chinese works. This acquaint- 

 ance appears, for example, in the treatment of 

 the area of a segment of a circle and in two or 

 three applied problems. It is doubtful, how- 

 ever, if this relationship and others like it are 

 sufficient ground for the sweeping assertions 

 contained in the following statements: 



That the most important parts of the works of 

 the Indian mathematicians from Aryabhata to 

 Bhaskara are essentially based upon western 

 knowledge is now established. A somewhat inti- 

 mate connection between early Chinese and In- 

 dian mathematics is also established. That the 

 Arabic development of mathematics was prac- 

 tically independent of Indian influence is also 

 proved. 



It would be safer to say that the solution of 

 the problem of the relationship between the 

 scholarship of the East and that of the West 

 has hardly yet been begun. 



Two helpful features of the work are the 

 large number of extracts from the original 

 treatises, and a fair bibliography. Mention 

 should also be made of two interesting photo- 

 graphic reproductions, one of two pages of 

 SrTdhara's Trisdtihd and the other of three 

 pages of the Bakhshali manuscript. There is 

 also a helpful index to the work. 



The book, small though it is, should be on 

 the shelves of all who are interested in Orien- 

 tal mathematics. It is to be hoped that Mr. 

 Kaye will some time prepare a more exhaus- 

 tive work upon the subject. 



David Eugene Smith 



Assaying in Theory and Practise. By E. A. 



Weaight, of Eoyal School of Mines, London. 



Longmans, Green and Co. Pp. 316. 86 



figures in text. $3.00. 



The text of the book is divided into foiir 

 parts. First: Nimierical Data, Laboratory 

 Plans, Lists of Apparatus, Minerals and Their 

 Characteristics. Second Part: Dry Assaying; 

 contains chapters on tests for recognition of 

 various metals, sampling, general assay prob- 

 lems and methods of assay for tin, gold, silver, 

 lead, mercury, fuels and refractory materials. 

 Third Part: "Wet methods for iron, copper, 

 zinc, aluminum, lead, bismuth, tin, tungsten, 

 arsenic, antimony, manganese, chromium, sul- 

 phur, vanadium, cobalt, nickel, uranium and 

 molybdenum. Fourth Part: Control tests for 

 cyaniding solutions and cyaniding methods. 



It is rather doubtful whether any one, who 

 was not fairly well grounded in chemistry and 

 chemical manipulation, could make much 

 progress in assaying by the use of the book 

 alone. The methods given leave much to the 

 mind of the reader. In the tests for recogni- 

 tion, a wet and a dry test are given for each 

 element. N'o mention is made of the influence 

 of other elements which may hide the test en- 

 tirely. In the description of grinding no men- 

 tion of the mechanical grinders is made. The 

 iron mortar and the backing board are recom- 

 mended, notwithstanding the fact that some 

 form of mechanical grinder is found in almost 

 every assay laboratory. 



Gas furnaces and oil furnaces are also 

 omitted from the description. These furnaces 

 may not be in common use in England, but 

 they are found everywhere in this country. 



The reviewer does not agree with some of 

 the methods recommended, but that is perhaps 

 only a difference of opinion. 



But one form of calorimeter is described, but 

 the principles of calorimetry are well described. 



The book furnishes much in a suggestive 

 way and may be taken as a good outline for a 

 course in assaying, but the course would have 

 to be supervised by a competent instructor. 



Owen L. Shinn 



