Chemistry a7id Physics. 449 



isomorphism of phenacite and willemite, as well as that of beryllium 

 oxide and zinc oxide, and of the two metals beryllium and mag- 

 nesium, may be accidental. — Zeltschr. furphysikcU Chem., xx, 481. 



H. L. TV. 



3. The non-existence of two Orthophalic Acids ; by H. L. 

 Wheeler, from the advance sheets of an article to be published 

 in the American Chemical Journal. — In the June number of this 

 Journal of the present year, vol. i, p. 485, an article by Mr. W. 

 T. H. Howe upon the existence of two orthophthalic acids was 

 briefly reviewed. Dr. Wheeler now shows conclusively that no 

 new acid can be prepared by the methods given by Howe, and it 

 is evident that the facts upon which Howe's article was based 

 were false, and the theoretical conclusions, interesting and impor- 

 tant as they seemed, were without foundation, h. l. w. 



•4. Htanphry Davy^ Poet and Philosopher; by T. E. Thorpe, 

 8vo, pp. 240. Xew York, 1896 (Macmillan & Co., price s^l.25).— 

 This book, appearing in the "Century Science Series," has as its 

 subject one of the most notable and interesting pioneers of chem- 

 istry. Sir Humphry Davy was perhaps the greatest of Eng- 

 land's popular lecturers upon scientific subjects, and among his 

 great discoveries we owe to him the first knowledge of the effects 

 of breathing nitrous oxide, the discovery of the alkali and alkali- 

 earth metals by the use of electrolysis, the recognition of chlorine 

 as an elementary body, and the well-known safety lamp. Pro- 

 fessor Thorpe has handled his subject in his usual charming 

 style, and has made the book a fascinating one, not only to the 

 chemist, but also to the general reader. Much material, hitherto 

 unpublished, has been introduced. The author has not failed to 

 give a good impression of Davy's genius, but he has also allowed 

 us to understand his frailties and peculiarities. h. l. av. 



5. Chemistry in Daily Life ; by Lassa.r-Cohn. Translated 

 by M. M. Pattison Muir, 8vo, pp. 324. Philadelphia, 1896 (J. B. 

 Lippincott Company, price $1.75). — This series of twelve popular 

 lectures is very well adapted to give the general reader some idea 

 of the simplest and most important principles of chemistry, as 

 well as a good insight into the important applications of chemistry 

 at the present day. The wide range of subjects touched upon 

 may be seen from the following list of a few of them : Breathing, 

 air, ozone, maintenance of the warmth of the body, combustion, 

 nature of flame, fats, petroleum, the elements, chemical formulae, 

 the atom and the molecule, distillation, the manufacture of coal- 

 gas and by-products, incandescent gas-lights, food of plants, 

 bases acids, and salts, food of men and animals, common salt, 

 importance of cooking, fermentation, alcoholic beverages, vinegar, 

 wood spirit, explosives, wool, cotton, silk, shoddy, tanning, parch- 

 ment, bleaching, drying, oil painting, varnishes, inks, paper, 

 potash, Leblanc's process, nitric acid, bleaching-powder, ammonia 

 soda process, soap, glass, clay, pottery, photography, the X-rays, 

 noble and base metals, ores, bimetallism, iron and steel, regen- 

 erator furnaces, zinc, electro deposition of metals, alloys, alkaloids, 

 antiseptics. h. l. ay. 



