[ W2 ] 



IX. Notices respecting New Books. 



A Text Booh of Physics. By J. Duncan and S. Gr. Stabling. 

 Pp. xxiii + 1081. Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1918. Price 15s. 



nnHIS book covers, in an elementary manner, practically the 

 -*- whole of physics, being divided into five parts, Dynamics, 

 Heat, Light, Sound, and Magnetism and Electricity. It is written 

 somewhat more from an engineering standpoint than such text- 

 books usually are, and devotes much attention to the mechanical 

 application of physical principles, as exemplified by freeziog- 

 machines, internal combustion engines, and the like. The general 

 arrangement of the matter follows much the usual lines : the 

 diagrams, however, seem to be all new, and are very clearly drawn 

 and reproduced. Mention is made of much work, recent or 

 topical, which has not yet appeared in text books : we may 

 instance the descriptions of Gaede's molecular pump, the peri- 

 scope, and the Barr and Stroud range-finder, and the reference to 

 the utilization of volcanic heat in Tuscany. It is a pity that no 

 account is given of the sound phenomena accompanying moving 

 [projectiles, which are of special interest to-day, and are instructive 

 to the student. 



Unfortunately, while much care is given to description of details 

 of machinery, the fundamental conceptions are dealt with very 

 perfunctorily, and important phenomena (such as osmotic pressure) 

 which present difficulties to the learner, are handled in a very 

 superficial and unconvincing way. The part devoted to dynamics 

 is particularly open to criticism — such definitions as " mass means 

 quantity of matter," given without farther discussion, are pernicious 

 and unscientific. While we heartily approve the many descriptions 

 of various machines and mechanical devices based on physical 

 reasoning, we could wish that more space and more thinking had 

 been devoted to indicating and explaining the nature of the 

 general laws and basic phenomena of physics. 



Applied Optics: The Computation of Optical Systems. (Steinheil 

 and Voit.) Translated and edited by J. W. French, B.Sc. 

 Volume I. Blackie & Son. 



The Advisory Council on Scientific and Industrial Research has 

 had under consideration a number of scientific and technical 

 problems arising out of the war. Several recommendations were 

 made for the improvement of the optical industry, and special 

 attention was drawn to the urgent need of standard text-books on 

 those parts of optics which at present are greatly neglected in this 

 country. " In our opinion the quickest and most effective manner 

 of dealing with this requirement is by publishing translations of 

 existing foreign books and abstracts of foreign papers on this 

 subject." Mr. French has given an excellent translation of 

 'Applied Optics' by Steinheil and Voit, and has rendered a 



