190 Scientific Intelligence. 



even in neutral solutions. For instance, if a mixture of 15 g. of 

 metallic arsenic and 10 g. of potassium chlorate is covered with 

 50 cc of water there is no reaction, even after adding l cc of dilute 

 sulphuric acid ; but if a solution of 0*015 g. of Os0 4 is added, a 

 violent reaction takes place, with the formation of arsenic acid. 

 The oxidation of various organic compounds was accomplished 

 similarly with potassium or sodium chlorate, and it appears that 

 osmium tetroxide is more efficient in such reactions than vanadic 

 acid, or cerium salts, which have been used as oxygen carriers in 

 some of the cases. — Berichte, xlv, 3329. h. l. w. 



3. A New Gasometric Method for Determining Nitric Oxide. — 

 The importance of nitric oxide in connection with the modern 

 development of the utilization of atmospheric nitrogen, and the 

 fact that there has been no exact method for determining this 

 gas in the presence of others, have led Baudisch and Klinger to 

 work out a new method for the purpose, which appears to be 

 exact and simple. The process is based upon the fact that when 

 air is brought into the presence of nitric oxide in the presence of 

 solid potassium hydroxide potassium nitrite is produced, without 

 the formation of any nitrogen peroxide, according to the equation 



4NO + 2 + 4KOH = 4KN0 2 + 2H 2 



The volume of nitric oxide is therefore four-fifths of the contrac- 

 tion. It is important that the air should be added to the nitric 

 oxide, for when air is in excess the N 2 3 at first formed is partly 

 oxidized to N0 2 . In order to carry out the analysis, a pipette 

 containing a little moist potassium hydroxide in the stick form is 

 completely exhausted of air by means of mercury, the measured 

 gas is led into the pipette, an excess of air, also measured, is then 

 put in, and finally the residual gas is sucked out and measured. 

 The test-analyses given show excellent results. — Berichte, xlv, 

 3231. h. l. w. 



4. The Preparation of Organic Compounds / by E. De Barry 

 Barnett. 8vo, pp. 310. Philadelphia, 1912 (P. 'Blakiston's Son 

 & Co.). — This American reprint of an English book is an excel- 

 lent laboratory manual which includes both theoretical and prac- 

 tical operations. Many fundamental reactions are illustrated 

 which are not included in other text-books. A desirable feature 

 of the work is the selection of numerous preparations which have 

 been taken from the patent literature. The book can be recom- 

 mended for advanced students who desire an extensive training 

 in laboratory practice. The list of references to scientific and 

 patent literature is a very full one. . t. b. j. 



5. A Dictionary of Applied Chemistry / by Sir Edward 

 Thorpe. Revised and enlarged edition, Vol. III. 8vo, pp. 789. 

 London, 1912 (Longmans, Green and Co.). — The third volume 

 of this important work of reference extends from GR to OILS. 

 Among the large number of articles the volume contains several 

 that deserve special mention. For example, those on the utiliza- 

 tion of atmospheric nitrogen, on metallography, and on naphtha- 

 lene (which takes up 100 pages of the book) may be noticed as 

 particularly important and interesting. h. l. w. 



