400 - Scientific Intelligence, 



tative experiments, particularly near the beginning of the course, 

 and there is also a good deal of work in the direction of the 

 qualitative grouping of elements and radicals. The course of 

 work evidently deserves high praise in regard to its fullness, its 

 instructiveness, and its clear presentation of the operations. It 

 appears, however, that the course as a whole is too extensive for 

 the time that is usually available for such courses, and that the 

 somewhat complicated quantitative work is introduced at such 

 an early stage that the average beginner would very probably 

 lack the manipulative ability and the knowledge to carry them 

 out properly and to comprehend them satisfactorily. However, 

 it may be said that it is easier to omit portions of a too exten- 

 sive book than to add material to one that is too short or too 

 elementary. While practically one-half of the pages of this 

 book are left for the student's notes, these pages are supplied 

 with printed numbers corresponding to numbers placed in the 

 text of the opposite pages, so that the student may know where 

 to record his observations and answers to questions. This 

 arrangement will facilitate the proper taking of notes, and it will 

 be an aid to the instructor who examines them. h. l. w. 



4. A Short Manual of Analytical Chemistry ; by John 

 Muter. 6th American Edition, Edited by J. Thomas. 8vo, 

 pp. 237. Philadelphia, 1917 (P. Blakiston's Son & Co.).— This 

 book, which is intended for the use of students of pharmacy, 

 deals with qualitative and quantitative, inorganic and organic 

 analysis. In spite of its moderate size and the wide field that it 

 covers, it gives a surprisingly comprehensive amount of infor- 

 mation. It is a well-known work which has passed through 10 

 English and 6 American editions. The latter are by no means 

 mere copies of the former, since the American editions are made 

 to correspond with the legal requirements for drugs as fixed by 

 the United States Pharmacopoeia. The book contains so much 

 information about analytical methods that it should be useful as 

 a reference book to all kinds of analytical chemists. h. l. w. 



5. Allen's Commercial Organic Analysis. Edited by W. A. 

 Davis. Fourth Edition. Vol. IX. 8vo, pp. 836. Philadel- 

 phia, 1917 (P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Price $5 net).— This 

 volume of the entirely rewritten fourth edition of this monu- 

 mental work has been issued in order to bring up to date the 

 matter of the preceding eight volumes, especially the earlier ones, 

 since the work of revision was begun in 1907. The articles 

 included are very numerous and naturally vary in length and 

 importance. In many cases the original contributors have fur- 

 nished the revisions, but in some cases others have done the work. 

 An important feature of the volume is a complete general index 

 to the whole series of nine volumes. This will greatly facilitate 

 reference to the work. h. l. w. 



