862- 



SCmNCK 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 283. 



Qualitative Analysis for Secondary Schools. By 

 Cyrus "W. Ikish, A.B. (Harvard)', Head 

 master of the Lowell High School, Lowell, 

 Mass. American Book Company. 

 The preface of this book states that in sec- 

 ondary schools " the first half of a one year's 

 course in chemistry should be devoted to a 

 general introduction to the theory of the science 

 and to a close study of the most common non- 

 metallic radicals. The second half-year should 

 deal with basic radicals and should be com- 

 bined with the study of Qualitative Analysis." 

 It is to supply a manual for the latter part of 

 such a course that this little book has been 

 written. 



The laboratory work begins with a series of 

 experiments, illustrating the classification of 

 the bases into analytical groups. Metals are 

 selected as typical of the various groups, and 

 the action of each group reagent, in turn, upon 

 a solution of a salt of each of these metals is 

 studied. The metals of a group are then taken 

 up in order, preliminary experiments being 

 followed by a few well-chosen questions on the 

 experiments and on the occurrence, prepa- 

 ration, uses, etc., of the element under con- 

 sideration and its compounds. 



The directions for the analysis of a group are 

 followed by a table outlining, by the use of 

 formulae, the chemical changes which take place 

 in the course of analysis. In the reviewer's 

 opinion the preparation of such a table by the 

 student himself, from the data secured in the 

 preliminary experiments, is much better and is 

 one of the most profitable exercises which can 

 be given him. In this manual the table is fol- 

 lowed by ' notes and suggestions ' which are 

 altogether too brief. Space might have been 

 gained for the expansion of this part of the 

 book, by the omission of lithium and all but 

 the more common inorganic acids. 



As is usual in manuals of qualitative analysis, 

 the section devoted to the acids is unsatisfac- 

 tory. In the test for an 'acid, the behavior of 

 other acids under the prevailing conditions is 

 disregarded. The most convenient method of 

 preparing a solution for the detection of the 

 acids, viz, treatment of the substance with 

 sodium carbonate, is not directly mentioned, 

 while there is given in full the preliminary ex- 



amination of the solid substance, the results of 

 which, in the case of mixed substances, can 

 only be interpreted by the more advanced 

 student. 



The methods used for the separation of the 

 bases are for the most part well-chosen. Most 

 teachers would prefer, however, to adopt for 

 high-school students methods for the separation 

 of nickel from cobalt and of copper from cad- 

 mium, which do not involve the use of potas- 

 sium cyanide. The directions for the precipi- 

 tation of the copper group (p. 36) are faulty 

 in that they favor the incomplete transformation 

 of mercuric compounds into the black sulphide, 

 which will frequently result in a precipitation 

 of mercuric sulphide in the final test for 

 cadmium. On page 42 occurs this misleading 

 paragraph, "Boil stannous chloride with con- 

 centrated nitric acid. This converts the stan- 

 nous chloride into stannic chloride." 



The introductory chapter lacks the lucidity 

 of style which should characterize an elemen- 

 tary text-book. The statements, " the specific 

 name of a salt is the name of the basic radical 

 changed to an adjective" (p. 8), and "sub- 

 stances that are in solution can be separated by 

 addition of such a reagent as will form a new 

 substance that is insoluble in the fluid ' ' (p. 12) 

 will surely appeal to the high-school pupil as 

 little as does the following prescription to the 

 chemist, "for Alkali Burns, apply acetic acid 

 diluted with water so that to the taste it is 

 about one-fourth as sour as vinegar. This 

 solution may be safely applied to the eye" 

 (p. 15). 



Notwithstanding these faults, the book might 

 produce good results in the hands of an experi- 

 enced teacher of chemistry. Whether a year's 

 course in chemistry in a secondary school may 

 not be profitably spent in a thorough and ex- 

 tended study of what is usually called general 

 chemistry to the exclusion of anything more 

 than the merest elements of qualitative analysis, 

 is another question. 



Theodore Whittelset. 



Cornell University. 



The Psychology of Religion. An Empirical Study 

 of the Growth of Religious Consciousness. 

 By Edwin Diller Starbuck, Ph.D., As- 



