﻿510 
  Scientific 
  Intelligence. 
  

  

  brought 
  up 
  to 
  date. 
  Dr. 
  Smith's 
  translation 
  is 
  clear, 
  accurate 
  

   and 
  in 
  every 
  way 
  admirable. 
  The 
  volume 
  as 
  it 
  now 
  stands 
  seems 
  

   to 
  us 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  complete 
  text-books 
  in 
  the 
  English 
  

   language. 
  We 
  regret 
  sincerely 
  the 
  recent 
  death 
  of 
  its 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  author, 
  who 
  has 
  done 
  so 
  much 
  in 
  his 
  text-books 
  to 
  pre- 
  

   sent 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  chemistry 
  in 
  a 
  compact 
  and 
  yet 
  comprehensive 
  

   form. 
  g. 
  f. 
  b. 
  

  

  3. 
  A 
  System 
  of 
  Inorganic 
  Chemistry 
  ; 
  by 
  William 
  Ramsay, 
  

   Ph.D., 
  F.R.S., 
  Professor 
  of 
  Chemistry 
  in 
  University 
  College, 
  

   London. 
  8vo, 
  pp. 
  xvi, 
  700. 
  Philadelphia, 
  1891. 
  (P. 
  Blakiston, 
  

   Son 
  & 
  Co.). 
  — 
  The 
  system 
  of 
  classification 
  adopted 
  in 
  this 
  book 
  is 
  

   somewhat 
  remarkable. 
  " 
  After 
  a 
  short 
  historical 
  preface 
  the 
  

   elements 
  are 
  considered 
  in 
  their 
  order 
  ; 
  next 
  their 
  compounds 
  

   with 
  the 
  halogens, 
  including 
  the 
  double 
  halides 
  ; 
  the 
  oxides, 
  

   sulphides, 
  selenides 
  and 
  tellurides 
  follow 
  next, 
  double 
  oxides, 
  

   such 
  as 
  sulphates, 
  for 
  example, 
  being 
  considered 
  among 
  the 
  com- 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  the 
  simple 
  oxides 
  with 
  the 
  oxides 
  of 
  other 
  elements 
  ; 
  

   a 
  few 
  chapters 
  are 
  then 
  occupied 
  with 
  the 
  borides, 
  carbides 
  and 
  

   silicides 
  and 
  the 
  nitrides, 
  phosphides, 
  arsenides 
  and 
  antimonides 
  ; 
  

   and 
  in 
  these 
  the 
  organo-metallic 
  compounds, 
  the 
  double 
  com- 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  ammonia, 
  and 
  the 
  cyanides 
  are 
  considered 
  ; 
  while 
  a 
  

   short 
  account 
  is 
  given 
  of 
  alloys 
  and 
  amalgams." 
  Special 
  chap- 
  

   ters 
  are 
  appended 
  treating 
  of 
  spectrum 
  analysis 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  

   periodic 
  law 
  ; 
  the 
  former 
  chapter 
  considering 
  also 
  the 
  chemistry 
  

   of 
  the 
  rare 
  earths. 
  Since 
  the 
  author 
  tells 
  us 
  that 
  " 
  no 
  systematic 
  

   text-book 
  has 
  been 
  written 
  in 
  English 
  with 
  the 
  periodic 
  arrange- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  elements 
  as 
  a 
  basis," 
  his 
  attempt 
  to 
  supply 
  this 
  

   deficiency 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  volume 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  above 
  classifi- 
  

   cation. 
  He 
  criticises 
  as 
  ancient 
  and 
  arbitrary 
  the 
  electrochemical 
  

   line 
  of 
  demarcation 
  between 
  metals 
  and 
  non-metals, 
  and 
  says 
  that 
  

   too 
  great 
  importance 
  has 
  hitherto 
  been 
  assigned 
  to 
  the 
  distinction 
  

   between 
  acid 
  hydroxides 
  and 
  basic 
  hydroxides. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  

   chemistry 
  of 
  text-books 
  he 
  thinks 
  has 
  almost 
  always 
  been 
  influ- 
  

   enced 
  by 
  commercial 
  considerations. 
  While 
  the 
  absolute 
  classifi- 
  

   cation 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  periodic 
  law 
  here 
  adopted 
  brings 
  out 
  

   prominently 
  the 
  quantitative 
  affiliations 
  of 
  the 
  elements, 
  yet 
  

   their 
  qualitative 
  relations 
  are 
  well 
  nigh 
  lost 
  sight 
  of. 
  Moreover, 
  

   the 
  above 
  mentioned 
  arrangement 
  of 
  chemical 
  compounds 
  would 
  

   seem 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  confusing 
  to 
  the 
  student. 
  Of 
  course 
  the 
  

   author's 
  reputation 
  is 
  a 
  guarantee 
  of 
  the 
  accuracy 
  and 
  clearness 
  

   of 
  statement 
  of 
  the 
  book. 
  Moreover, 
  its 
  mechanical 
  execution 
  is 
  

   excellent, 
  and 
  its 
  size 
  convenient. 
  G. 
  F. 
  b. 
  

  

  4. 
  An 
  Introduction 
  to 
  the 
  Mathematical 
  Theory 
  of 
  Elec- 
  

   tricity 
  and 
  Magnetism. 
  ; 
  by 
  W. 
  T. 
  H. 
  Emtage, 
  M.A., 
  Examiner 
  

   in 
  the 
  School 
  of 
  Natural 
  Science, 
  Oxford. 
  12mo, 
  pp. 
  viii, 
  228. 
  

   Oxford, 
  1891 
  (Clarendon 
  Press). 
  This 
  little 
  book 
  supplies 
  a 
  want 
  

   which 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  felt 
  for 
  a 
  text 
  book 
  treating 
  the 
  mathematical 
  

   theory 
  of 
  electricity 
  within 
  a 
  compass 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  brief 
  course 
  

   generally 
  available. 
  It 
  is 
  clearly 
  written, 
  accurate 
  and 
  follows 
  

   the 
  best 
  methods. 
  g. 
  f. 
  b. 
  

  

  