138  Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices.  -  {AmMJa?ch,f9ot.rm" 
water,  and  add  to  this  solution  443-6  grammes  of  borax  mixed  with 
309  grammes  of  a  15  per  cent,  solution  of  caustic  soda,  collect  the 
precipitate,  wash  until  free  from  sulphates  and  dry.  (Phar.  Jour., 
I9°5f  P-  75>  fr°m  Arch.  d.  Phat) 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Traite  Elementaire  de  Physico-Chimie,  ou  lois  generates  et 
theories  nouvelles  des  actions  chimiques.  Par  M.  Emm.  Pozzi-Escot. 
Paris:  Librairie  Polytechnique.  Ch.  Beranger,  Editeur.  1905. 
Pp.  627. 
This  is  a  text-book  of  general  chemistry  as  interpreted  by  the 
modern  physical  chemists  and  is  a  very  complete  and  satisfactory 
presentation  of  the  views  held  to-day  on  this  subject.  It  is,  more- 
over, a  presentation  of  these  views  in  which  mathematics  is  avoided 
as  far  as  possible,  so  as  to  make  it  understood  by  the  average 
chemist  who  does  not  wish  to  undertake  the  study  of  certain  parts 
of  mathematical  physics,  such  as  thermo-dynamics,  as  a  preface  to 
physical  chemistry. 
The  well-known  fundamental  laws  of  chemistry,  such  as  those  of 
gaseous  combination,  the  atomic  theory  and  the  meaning  of  valence 
and  its  applications  in  the  establishing  of  chemical  equations,  are 
first  reviewed  ;  the  properties  and  general  laws  of  the  gaseous  state 
are  then  discussed,  followed  by  an  account  of  specific  heats  of  the 
elements  and  a  classification  of  the  elements.  In  the  latter,  the 
periodic  system  of  Mendeliefif  is  fully  explained  and  deductions  from 
the  same  noted.  At  the  . end  of  this  chapter  mention  is  made  of  the 
discovery  of  the  five  rare  inert  atmospheric  gases  by  Ramsay,  and 
that  their  discoverer  had  fitted  them  into  the  periodic  system  con- 
stituting a  group  for  themselves,  but  the  author  does  not  incorporate 
them  in  his  table  of  elements  as  is  now  generally  done. 
The  next  chapter,  dealing  with  the  properties  of  liquids,  describes 
the  phenomena  of  molecular  diffusion  of  liquids  and  from  that  goes 
on  to  speak  of  osmotic  pressure,  which  is  well  explained  with  the 
aid  of  several  simple  illustrations  which  help  one  in  the  understand- 
ing of  this  important  phenomenon  and  its  meaning.  This  leads  to 
the  statement  of  the  modern  theory  of  solutions  as  first  proposed 
by  Arrhenius. 
