Chemistry and Physics. 495 



4. The Fundamental Principles of Chemistry, by Wilhelm 

 Ostwald : Authorized Translation by Harry W. Morse ; 8vo, 

 pp. xii, 349. Kew York, 1909 (Longmans, Green & Company). — 

 "An introduction to all text-books of chemistry" is the sub-title 

 given to this book by its distinguished author. This does not 

 mean, however, that it is suitable for the use of beginners who 

 have no knowledge of the science. It is an essentially non- 

 mathematical discussion of chemical principles from physical and 

 philosophical standpoints, which will be of interest to more 

 advanced students and teachers. The well-known attitude of the 

 author in discarding the atomic and molecular theories gives a 

 somewhat peculiar aspect to his theoretical considerations. He 

 uses "combining weight" in the place of atomic weight, and his 

 "molar weight" in the place of molecular weight appears to be a 

 mere makeshift. From this point of view his treatment of such 

 topics as valence and ions is curious, to say the least. The 

 translation appears to be exceedingly well done. h. l. w. 



5. Elementary Modern Chemistry, by Wilhelm Ostwald and 

 Harry W. Morse; 12mo, pp. 291. Boston, 1909 (Ginn & 

 Company). This small text-book is the result of the collaboration 

 of the distinguished German chemist and an instructor in physics 

 in Harvard University. It gives an interesting series of physical 

 and chemical experiments, a moderate amount of descriptive 

 matter, and a good proportion of theory. Owing to Ostwald's 

 peculiar views, the atomic weights connected with the list of the 

 elements are called "combining weights." It may be observed 

 that this term does not apply as yet to ai'gon, helium, etc. It is 

 also to be noticed that Avogadro and his theory do not appear to 

 be mentioned in the book. The illustrations are good, including 

 full-page portraits of Priestley, Ramsay, Dalton, Faraday, Ber- 

 thollet, Bunsen, Gibbs and Berzelius. Plaster-of-paris is charac- 

 terized as an anhydrous compound. The statement about wrought 

 iron "containing usually less than 1 per cent of carbon" is mis- 

 leading, and the view that suddenly cooled cast iron makes "white 

 iron or spiegel" is remarkable. These are small defects, and the 

 book on the whole has manj^ excellent features. h. l. w. 



6. On the Resistance due to Obliquely Moving Waves and its 

 dependence upon the particular form of the forepart of a, ship. — 

 Lord Rayleigh refers to the train of waves which leave the bow 

 of a shipt These waves have been studied by the Froudes and 

 an analysis of them is given in Lamb's Hydrodynamics (3d ed. 

 p. 414). More attention has been directed to the directly advanc- 

 ing waves, those whose crests are perpendicular to the ship's 

 motion, than to the effect of the oblique part of the wave system. 

 Lord Rayleigh has made experiments upon a new form of bow 

 and stern which might neutralize the holding-back effect of the 

 additional pressure due to the crests of the train of waves, and 

 he suggests that larger experiments should be made, with what 

 may be called an undulating figure of bow and stern, instead of 

 the present convexity of these portions of a ship. — Phil. Mag., 

 Sept, 1909, pp. 414-416. j. t. 



