EDITORIAL. 
383 
nation  of  two  binary  compounds,  one  of  which  acts  the  part  of  an  electro- 
positive element  or  base,  and  the  other  of  an  electro-negative  element  or 
acid,;'*  thus  throwing  out  from  this  category  the  so-called  haloid  salts  and 
other  binary  compounds.  The  solubility  of  salts  is  largely  spoken  of  and 
illustrated;  and  their  behaviour  under  chemical  treatment  exposed,  as  regards 
classes. 
The  chemistry  of  the  alkaline,  alkalino-earthy,  and  earthy  metals  and  their 
compounds  is  much  enlarged  on  as  regards  potassium,  carbonate  and  nitrate 
of  potassa,  chloride  of  sodium  and  carbonate  and  borate  of  soda,  ammoniacal 
salts,  chlorinated  lime,  etc.,  with  an  appendix  of  nearly  100  pages  on  gun- 
powder, with  the  details  of  its  manufacture,  testing  and  analysis,  building 
materials  and  cements,  analysis  of  limestones,  the  glass  manufacture  in  its 
several  varieties,  pottery  ware,  including  porcelain  anil  stone  ware.  etc. 
The  second  class  of  metals,  including  all  that  can  readily  be  kept  in  dry- 
air,  are  next  described,  preceded  by  a  chapter  on  the  mechanical  prepara- 
tion of  ores,  illustrated  with  cuts.  In  the  description  of  these  metals,  the 
author  has  introduced  an  account  of  the  metallurgy  of  the  principal  ones, 
as  iron,  zinc,  tin,  lead,  bismuth,  copper,  antimony  mercury,  silver,  gold, 
etc.  Among  the  special  notices,  are  the  steel  and  wire  manufacture,  test- 
ing of  iron  ores,  bronze  cannon  casting,  assaying  of  silver,  galvanic  sil- 
vering and  gilding,  etc.  Prof.  Booth  gives  the  process  of  refining  gold  at 
the  U.  S.  Mint,  by  alloying  with  silver,  and  parting  with  nitric  acid,  etc., 
by  which  $800,000  worth  of  gold  is  refined  in  four  days. 
The  fourth  part  is  devoted  to  organic  chemistry,  the  introduction  to  which 
treats  of  Proximate  and  Elementary  organic  analysis,  the  establishment  of 
formulas,  the  determination  of  acid,  basic,  and  neutral  substances,  the  de- 
termination of  the  specific  gravity  and  other  properties  of  the  vapors  of 
organic  volatile  bodies,  and  the  analysis  of  gases  ;  the  two  last  being  very 
elaborate. 
The  author  treats  first  of  the  ligneous,  amylaceous,  gummy  and  sac- 
charine substances  ;  then  of  their  products  with  acids  and  under  the  in- 
fluence cf  fermentation  by  which  alcohol,  ether,  the  compound  ethers, 
acetic,  butyric  and  lactic  acids,  &c,  are  included.  M.  Regnault  was  not 
an  advocate  for  the  radical  theory,  at  the  time  he  wrote  on  this  subject. 
What  influence  Frankland  and  Kolbe's  recent  isolation  of  ethyl,  amyl, 
valeryl,  etc.,  has  had  on  his  opinions,  we  are  not  aware.  Mr.  Faber  has 
given  the  recent  discoveries  of  this  character  in  several  copious  notes. 
The  vegetable  acids  and  alkaloids,  the  essential  oils,  and  the  resins  fol- 
low. In  this  connection  Prof.  Booth  very  properly  refers  to  the  important 
discovery  of  the  vulcanization  of  Caoutchouc  by  our  countrymen,  C.  Good- 
year, which  is  not  noticed  in  the  text.  The  empyreumatic,  fatty  and 
coloring  substances,  are  next  spoken  of;  then  the  chemistry  of  animal  sub- 
stances, the  work  concluding  with  notices  of  important  manufactures  of 
organic  matter,  including  bread,  brewing,  cider,  wine,  beet  sugar,  cane 
sugar,  bone  black,  tanning,  charcoal  making,  and  the  gas  manufacture. 
