AuGUST 27, 1897. ] 
but with ‘a rational analysis of the contents of 
the human mind,’ this is a statement that does 
not essentially affect the methods of science ; 
but it seems somewhat dangerous to attempt to 
‘lessen the difficulties in the way of correlating 
atoms and the ether with other physical phe- 
nomena by regarding them as ‘conceptual 
limits.’ 
The only essay in the first volume not yet 
noticed is concerned with the place of women in 
society, and with the relations of individualism 
and socialism—subjects which are more or less 
distinctly brought forward in many places. 
The second volume is, indeed, chiefly concerned 
with them, though indirectly, from the point of 
view of folk-customs and folk-lore. The four 
essays included in it are entitled ‘Woman as 
Witch,’ ‘ Ashiepattle,’ ‘Kindred Group-Mar- 
riage’ and ‘The German Passion-Play.’ Limits 
of space do not permit me to give an account 
of these, and limitations of knowledge make me 
incompetent to criticise them. Mr. Pearson at- 
tributes great importance to a mother-age and 
its customs, and emphasizes the fact that medi- 
zeval Western Christianity was a product of the 
Teutonic folk-spirit. 
Mr. Pearson’s essays and lectures are actuel to 
an unusual degree. The scientific and social 
problems treated by him are those most press- 
ing for solution and those most likely to be- 
come predominent in the course of the next 
twenty years. It is not too much to say that 
these volumes should be read by every man of 
science. 
J. McKEEN CATTELL. 
CoLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. 
SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 
AMERICAN CHEMICAL JOURNAL, AUGUST. 
On the Oximes of Mucophenoxychloric and 
Mucophenoxybromic Acids: By H. B. Hituand 
J. A. WipTsoE. On the Action of Aluminic 
Chloride and Benzol upon Mucochloryl Chloride, 
Mucobromyl Bromide, and. the Corresponding 
Acids: By H. B. Hitt and F. L. Dunuapr. 
These papers contain the results of investiga- 
tions which have been carried out under Pro- 
fessor Hill’s directions. It had been shown that 
mucochloric and mucobromic acids, when 
treated with hydroxylamine, formed normal 
SCIENCE. 
dol 
oximes, which would indicate the presence of 
an aldehyde group in the acids. On the other 
hand, the bromanhydrides could be converted 
into crotonolactones by reduction, indicating an 
anhydride structure. The tautomerism of these 
acids has been the basis of the present work. 
Hill and Cornelison had attempted to discrimi- 
nate between the two forms by a study of the 
action of hydroxylamine on the methylester of 
the acid, expecting to find that one of the forms 
would react readily, the other with difficulty. 
Although the free acids acted very quickly, the 
action with the methylester was very slight. 
When, however, one hydrogen of the acid was 
replaced by the phenoxy group, a substance 
was obtained whose ester acted readily and 
formed a substance identical with the ester 
made from the oximes by the action of methyl- 
iodide on the silver salt. The oximes and their 
derivatives were prepared and studied during 
the course of this investigation. The simplest 
explanation that could be offered to explain the 
conversion of the acids through their broman- 
hydrides into crotonolactones was that the 
acids were oxylactones. This was tested as 
follows: Ifthe acid has an aldehyde structure it 
should, on treatment with aluminic chloride and 
benzol, yield an aldehyde phenylketone, while 
a substance belonging to the class of oxylac- 
tones should form a dichlorphenylcrotonie acid. 
The latter product was, in fact, the one obtained, 
and the authors consider the evidence sufficient 
to warrant the conclusion that the acid and its 
chloranhydride have the lactone structure. 
On Certain Derivatives of Brommaleic and 
Chlormaleic Acid-Aldehydes: By H. B. Hin 
and H. T. ALLEN. The authors repeated the 
experiments of Limpricht which led to the for- 
mation of an acid-aldehyde of fumaric acid; 
but were unable to isolate any crystalline com- 
pound. The viscous liquid which they obtained 
had, however, the properties of an aldehyde. 
In attempts to prepare some derivative of this 
they obtained a product which they showed to 
be brommaleic acid aldoxime. Asthis substance 
had not been previously prepared, its properties 
and many of its derivatives were studied. All 
attempts to prepare the acid itself failed. The 
corresponding chlorine compound can be made 
by the action of chlorine upon pyromucic acid. 
