May 15, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



781 



Two desiderata may be mentioned : ( 1 ) 

 Satisfactory tests, preferably eolorimetric, 

 which may be quickly applied, as Hille- 

 brand has remarked about titaniiun. This 

 supplied, perhaps these earths would not 

 be so rare. I have shown the universal 

 occurrence of titanium. (2) Spectral data 

 from more highly purified substances, for 

 much that is now at hand has been obtained 

 from impiire earths. 



The methods of attack at present are 

 mainly based upon the same phenomena of 

 oxidation, reduction and saturation. The 

 applications are different, however. As 

 tjT)ical examples, a few may be cited as 

 follows : Melikow has been using the hypo- 

 chlorites, virtually the Lawrence Smith 

 method; Muthmann, hydrogen dioxide and 

 acetate solutions; Dennis is using organic 

 acids, as did Metzger for thorium; Jeffer- 

 son and Allen have applied certain organic 

 bases for analytical purposes, while in our 

 laboratory Ave have saturated the stable 

 alkalies, fused Avith sodium peroxide, and 

 reduced with such basic reducing agents 

 as hydrazine and phenylhydrazine, and 

 so forth. 



All is not dark, for rifts in the clouds 

 are making. Old Watt said: 'Nature has 

 always a weak side, if we can only find it 

 out.' Looking back and with that cen- 

 tury of experiences we can frequently in a 

 measure judge of the future and those 

 things which make toward the true end. 



Naturally a sequel is due this paper, and 

 I look forward to presenting it in my vice- 

 presidential address before Section C of 

 the American Association at the St. Louis 

 meeting. Some sequels are better than 

 their predecessors ; most of them, however, 

 are not so good. 



Chas. Baskeeville. 



University of North Carolina. 



SCIEyilFIC BOOKS. 

 Inorganic Chemistry, with the Elements of 

 Physical and Theoretical Chemistry. By J. 

 I. D. Hinds, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry 

 in the University of Nashville. New York, 

 John Wiley & Sou; London, Chapman & 

 Hall, Limited. 1902. Large 8vo. Pp. 

 viii + 566. 

 Chemistry hy Observation, Experiment and In- 

 duction. A Laboratory Manual for Stu- 

 dents. By J. I. D. Hinds, Ph.D., Professor 

 of Chemistry in the University of Nashville. 

 New York, John Wiley & Sons; London, 

 Chapman & Hall, Limited. 12mo. viii + 

 192. 

 Principles of Inorganic Chemistry. By 

 Harry C. Jones, Associate Professor of 

 Physical Chemistry in the Johns Hopkins 

 University. New York, The Macmillan 

 Company; London, Macmillan & Co., Ltd. 

 1903. Large 8vo. Pp. xx + 521. 

 A Text-Boole of Inorganic Chemistry. By Dr. 

 A. F. Holleman, Professor Ordinarius in 

 the University of Groningen, Netherlands. 

 Eendered into English by Herman C. 

 Cooper, Ph.D., Instructor in Syracuse Uni- 

 versity, with the cooperation of the author. 

 New York, John Wiley & Sons; London, 

 Chapman & Hall, Limited. 1902. Large 

 Svo. Pp. viii + 458. 



While the number of smaller and intro- 

 ductory text-books on chemistry which have 

 appeared in this country during the past few 

 years is very large, it is a long time since any 

 new work on inorganic chemistry, which aims 

 to be even tolerably complete, has been pub- 

 lished. That three such works should appear 

 within a few months of each other is evidence 

 that a need was felt in this field. This is, of 

 course, due to the revolution, as it might well 

 be called, which has taken place in the fun- 

 damental conceptions of inorganic chemistry, 

 and the recognition of the fact that these must 

 be utilized in teaching the subject. This was 

 early seen by Ostwald, and he must be con- 

 sidered the pioneer of the new didactic 

 chemistry. 



It is interesting to note how the authors 

 before us have utilized the wealth of ma- 



