November 15, 1901.] 



SCIENCE. 



769 



of organic life — or at least of plant life — in the 

 polymerization of the carbohydrates." 



Lieutenant Bernadou seems to misconceive 

 the meaning and value of graphic formulse, 

 for while chemists hold that they are simply 

 convenient conventional methods for express- 

 ing the ascertained facts of chemistry, and true 

 only to the extent that they express those 

 facts. Lieutenant Bernadou appears to regard 

 them as original sources of information. 



The useful portions of this book are the 

 translations of the papers of Vieille and of 

 Bruley on the Nitration of Cotton, and that 

 of Mendeleef on Pyrocollodion Smokeless 

 Powder, though the value of the last is lessened 

 by the omission of all reference to the source 

 from which it is drawn, especially as the au- 

 thor states in the preface that these are only 

 * translations of certain portions of their works 

 on explosives.' It should be understood that 

 while translations are a convenience, one who 

 differs from an author should not rely upon 

 a translation, but should first consult the orig- 

 inal publication before expressing this differ- 

 ence, and the translator should be willing to 

 have this comparison of his translation readily 

 made by giving his sources. 



The record of the results of a few experi- 

 ments on the solubility of cellulose nitrates at 

 low temperatures in continuation of the work 

 of McNab is interesting. If Lieutenant Berna- 

 dou had but multiplied these experiments and 

 reported them in a simple manner he would 

 have produced something more useful to man- 

 kind than the speculative essay he has chosen 

 I, to present. Charles E. Munroe. 



-' Select Methods of Food Analysis. By Henry 



Leffmann and Wm. Beam. Philadelphia, 



Pa., Blakiston's Son & Co. 



It is stated by the authors that "this book 

 is intended to be a concise summary of analytic 

 methods adapted to the needs of both practicing 

 analysts and advanced students in applied 

 chemistry." 



The first part of the work, pages up to 68, is 

 occupied with a brief description of the princi- 

 pal analytic methods employed, including spec- 

 troscopy, microscopy, polarimetry, methods of 

 determining melting and boiling points and 

 other general operations. 



f 



In the part given to applied analyses, com- 

 prising the rest of the book, are articles devoted 

 to general methods for the examination of 

 poisonous metals, colors and preservatives, 

 while under special methods are treated the 

 processes for determining carbohydrates, fats 

 and oils, milk and milk products, tea, coffee 

 and cocoa, condiments and spices, alcoholic 

 beverages and flesh foods. 



An appendix contains tables of specific gravi- 

 ties of water, conversion tables for thermometric 

 degrees, tables of elements, symbols, and atomic 

 weights, and plates showing the structure of 

 tea leaves and starches. 



In regard to the analytical methods the 

 authors say: "The bulletins of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture (Bureau of 

 Chemistry) and of the Association of Official 

 Agricultural Chemists are now nearly all out of 

 print and scarce. The present work contains 

 a large amount of the data and processes given 

 in those publications, together with data from 

 reports of some of the State agricultural experi- 

 ment stations." 



In addition to this general acknowledgment, 

 the articles copied directly from the above pub- 

 lications are credited in the text in most cases. 

 The authors have reproduced the plates of tea 

 leaves and starch granules of the Bureau of 

 Chemistry, of the Department of Agriculture, 

 stating that the originals in many cases have 

 been retouched by Dr. Beam. 



The work is illustrated with 53 figures in ad- 

 dition to the plates of leaves. 



This work will prove of great help to analysts 

 who do not have access to the literature of the 

 subject or who have not the time to make their 

 own investigations thereof. The matter is well 

 arranged and classified and in convenient form 

 for reference, H. W. Wiley. 



The History of Medicine in the United States, etc. , 

 to the Year 1800. By Francis Randolph 

 Packard, M.D. J. B. Lippincott Co., Phila- 

 delphia. 1901. 8vo. Pp. 542. Illustrated. 

 The difficulties to be encountered in writing 

 a history of early medicine in America have 

 hitherto deterred authors from attempting this 

 really herculean task, and it is not surprising, 

 therefore, that we find Dr. Packard, in this 

 hitherto untrodden field, claiming for his work 



