410 Notices respecting New Boohs, 



the purposes of the ordinary chemical student. In the introduction 

 it is set forth that " this book is intended for the use of students 

 who, after they have mastered the first rudiments of chemistry, 

 enter a laboratory to work under a teacher, while at the same time 

 they continue their study of theoretical chemistry" (The italics are 

 the author's.) The student who, fresh from his mastery of the first 

 rudiments of chemistry, enters a laboratory with this book as 

 his guide, even if its teaching be supplemented by that of a 

 chemical tutor, would, we should imagine, before long devoutly 

 wish that he had never set foot in such a labyrinth as that of 

 qualitative analysis, to lead him out of or through which there- 

 appears to be no clue. 



Such a multitude of facts concerning the reactions of metals 

 and of acids are in this book presented to the bewildered gaze of 

 the student, in the separation of each group so many courses are 

 open to him, that he must be either bold almost to rashness, or 

 possessed already of a large stock of chemical knowledge, who 

 would venture to adopt one method in preference to another, or 

 (to use the language of the author) from those which are " poten- 

 tially " applicable to choose that which is " substantially " the best. 

 The style in which the work is written is peculiar. Simplicity 

 would appear to be in the author's eyes the unpardonable sin. 

 Such expressions as " the solution potentially contains such and 

 such metals, but substantially consists of," the "complex of 

 metals," "in the heat" as opposed to "in the cold," &c, grate 

 upon the ear of the English reader. 



As an example of that want of straightforward simplicity for 

 which we blame the author, we might refer to par. 464, p. 277, in 

 which the reactions of prussic acid are detailed. This acid is 

 usually called hydrocyanic, and its formula is written HCN : in 

 one part of the paragraph in question the usual name is employed, 

 in another the name cyanhydric. Sometimes the formula is written 

 NCH, sometimes HNC. Of course these are but small things ; 

 nevertheless to the ordinary student these little changes of name 

 and formulae, when made for no apparent reason, are perplexing, 

 and only perplexing. 



AVhat does the author mean by calling glass an alloy of alkaline 

 silicates with silicates of other metals ? Such a use of the name 

 alloy is not sanctioned, so far as we are aware, by any of our 

 standard writers on Chemistry. Again, the phrase " hydrogen 

 salt of an acid " is used as synonymous with the acid itself. Of 

 course the term salt may be used to include acids ; but if we speak 

 of the salt of an acid the phrase seems to apply to a derivative of 

 that acid ; if, however, it means the acid itself, then we are calling 

 a substance and a derivative of that substance by the same name. 

 We mean to indicate one thing, but are implying the existence of 

 two. The application of such a name as " Native nitrogenized 

 carbides" to the organic alkaloids, will, we think, amaze many 

 chemists. 



"When the student is told that he must test the reagents which 

 are to be used in any given process, he is directed to make an 



