lot; Scientific Intelligence. 



8. .1 Method for the Identification of Pure Organic Coin- 

 pounds, Yc>\. II ; by Samukl Parsons Mui.lik.en. Largo 8 vo, 



pp. 327. New York. 1 1 (i (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Price. 

 $5 net). — Eleven years have elapsed since the appearance of the 

 first volume of this monumental work, a volume which classified 

 and described about 2300 of the more important compounds of 

 carbon with hydrogen, and carbon with hydrogen and oxygen, 

 Meanwhile, however, the third volume, dealing with the identifi- 

 cation of commercial dyestnffs, has been published, s> that a 

 fourth volume, now in preparation, will complete the set. 'The 

 second volume, now being considered, contains classified descrip- 

 tions of about 4000 of the more important compounds of carbon 

 with the elements nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. This volume 

 will be particularly useful, since it includes a great many com- 

 pounds whose identification may be of great practical importance, 

 such as all of the alkaloids, a majority of the most important 

 drugs of other classes, many of the most interesting components 

 of animal and vegetable organisms, the hi<>h explosives, and a 

 considerable part of the "intermediates" of the dyestuff industry. 

 All of the compounds in this volume are classed as "Order II." 

 In order to identify an individual compound, it is necessary to 

 find, in the first place, whether it is colorless or colored. If color- 

 less, it is placed in three "genera," according to its acidity, basic- 

 ity or neutrality. In each of these genera the compounds are 

 separated into solid and liquid divisions. In these final "divi- 

 sions" the compounds are arranged according to melting points 

 or boiling points, and finally tests and miscellaneous properties 

 are given for each individual. The book gives 43 numbered 

 "tests," which have general application, and many special tests 

 are given for the individual compounds. This important work 

 makes it possible to identify many compounds much more easily, 

 and in many cases more satisfactorily than by the usual method 

 of analysis, molecular weight, and the resulting empirical formula. 

 The book is of much importance to chemists in general, and much 

 praise is due to Professor Mulliken for his labors of many years 

 and his success in producing this work. h. l. w. 



4. Annual Reports of the Progress of Chemistry for 1915. 

 8vo, pp. 268. London, 1916 (D. Van Nostrand Company, New 

 York. Price $2 net). — This is the twelfth volume of these 

 reports, which are issued by the London Chemical Society. It 

 contains nine e-says by as many authors, who are specialists in 

 the different branches of chemistry that are reported. The sub- 

 jects dealt with are General and Physical Chemistry, Inorganic 

 ChemUtry, three divisions of Organic Chemistry, Analytical 

 Chemistry, Physiological Chemistry, Agricultural Chemistry 

 and Plant Physiology, and Mineralogical Chemistry. As the 

 reports are short, varying in length from 16 to 43 pages, it fol- 

 lows that the matter is very much condensed, particularly in the 

 extensively investigated branches, and that the authors have been 

 compelled to confine themselves to such topics as appeared to be 



