574 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1086 



Then, following the class reactions, are the 

 more common individual compounds, listing 

 in each instance the physical and physiological 

 properties of the compound, the methods for 

 its preparation, the characteristics of its im- 

 portant compounds and derivatives, following 

 which are methods for its identification, and 

 in many instances methods for its separation 

 from other compounds as well as its quantita- 

 tive estimation. In all there are considerably 

 over 2,500 organic compounds considered in 

 greater or less detail. 



The volume closes with a chapter on the 

 preparation of the necessary reagents, followed 

 by a table of melting points arranged in as- 

 cending order, this being in turn followed by 

 a boiling point table similarly arranged. The 

 arrangement of the index is decidedly novel. 

 The index of compounds is in tabular form, 

 giving the name of the compound, the page 

 citation, the formula, the molecular weight 

 and the percentage composition. The volume 

 is concluded by an author index to the numer- 

 ous literature citations. 



Organic chemists have long felt the need of 

 such a work, and it will, I am sure, find a 

 hearty welcome. The identification of an or- 

 ganic compound should be relatively simple 

 if this reference work is used as a supplement 

 to Beilstein and Eichter's " Lexikon." It is 

 likewise admirably adapted for use as a text 

 in a course of qualitative organic analysis. 

 Eoss Aiken Gortner 



Molecular Association. By W. E. S. Turner. 



London and New York: Longmans, Green 



and Co. 1915. Pp. viii + 170. Cloth. 



$1.40 net. 



This is a further contribution to the series 

 of monographs on inorganic and physical 

 chemistry edited by Alexander Findlay. Dr. 

 Turner, with the cooperation of a number of 

 his students, has prepared a praiseworthy con- 

 tribution to this excellent series of publica- 

 tions. In the nine chapters of the book are 

 given an introduction and a discussion of 

 molecular complexity in gases, dissolved sub- 

 stances, and the liquid state. Special atten- 

 tion is given to " the influence of the solvent " 



in the case of solutions, also to surface ten- 

 sion, and other methods of measuring molec- 

 ular complexity of liquids, to the molecular 

 complexity of water and the theory of dynamic 

 allotropy. The selection and use of molecular 

 formula, molecular association and physical 

 properties, and molecular association and 

 chemical combination are the subjects of the 

 last three chapters. A long and fairly com- 

 plete list of references to original literature 

 is given at the end of the book. The appendix 

 contains in tabular form a summary up-to- 

 date of work done on the molecular complex- 

 ity of dissolved substances. Here also refer- 

 ences to original publications are added. 



The author evidently regards the various 

 molecular weight determinations in solutions 

 as indicative of the actual molecular weights 

 of the dissolved substances, and does not con- 

 sider that the " abnormally " high or low 

 molecular weights so frequently observed may 

 quite as well be explained by a species of 

 chemical union between solvent and dissolved 

 substance. Thus it is not surprising that the 

 entire subject of " molecular association and 

 chemical combination " should have received 

 only a step-motherly treatment, but five pages 

 of the monograph being devoted to it. 



The book is a compilation and not an orig- 

 inal contribution. It will doubtless be useful 

 to the advanced student of physical chemis- 

 try, who has thus brought before him in avail- 

 able and readable form the essence of the 

 various important contributions on the sub- 

 ject treated. The author is clearly an en- 

 thusiast over the molecular theory, and the 

 student can not but get some of this en- 

 thusiasm in perusing the monograph. May 

 this result in further experimentation that 

 shall bring to light more useful knowledge 

 and a better conception of the act of solution 

 as related to chemical combination, on the 

 one hand, and the forces of cohesion and ad- 

 hesion, on the other hand. 



The book is printed on good paper, the typog- 

 raphy is excellent, the cuts are well executed, 

 but the binding is unattractive, cheap and not 

 durable in form. 



Louis Kahlenbeeg 



