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Industrial chemistry
Dec., 1925.]
BOOK REVIEWS.
82 9
n must be at least 45. In addition to this discussion there is a considerable amount of information as to the nature of the varnishes, the data of physical chemistry being drawn upon for explanation. The book is therefore a comprehensive treatment of the field to which it is devoted. HENRY LEFFMANN. APROVECHAMIENTO DE LAS ENERGIAS NATURALES. Estudio descriptivo y razonado de los modernos m6todos que la t6cnica y la economia aconsejan para el aprovechamiento m~s perfecto posible de las fuentes naturales de energia. By Juan Gelpi Blanco, Engineer and Professor in the Barcelona Institute of Applied Physical Science. 283 pages, illustrations, 8vo. Barcelona, Libreria Subirana, 1924. Price, 24 pesetas. The utilization of the energies of nature to the consideration of which this work is devoted is undoubtedly among the most important questions to which engineers can devote their investigations. "['he store of coal and oil is, indeed, still enormous, and there is no immediate danger of exhaustion, but as regards coal the labor question is becoming more and more serious and just at present one most important source of fuel is cut off without any encouraging indication of the resumption of the mining of it. In his preface, the author calls attention to the interest that the nations are showing in developing their sources of power within their respective borders. The war, of course, stimulated such efforts. Barcelona, the city in which Professor Blanco teaches and works, is a centre of Spanish industry, and it is not surprising, therefore, that an extended and thorough study of natural sources of power should be undertaken by him. The book is both a practical and theoretical treatment of the topics. The fear that each great nation has concerning the danger of its dependence on others for any important supply has introduced, as the author points out, a new guiding principle in economics: " Bastarse a si mismo " - - " Be self-sufficient." Wind, waves, tides and waterfalls are among the topics considered. The fact that the work is written in Spanish must, of course, restrict somewhat its field of usefulness, but Spanish is really the best of the Continental tongues and would suit excellently as an international language. It is as nearly phonetic as a living language can be, its syntax is more simple than that of any other Continental tongue and there are few accented letters. The book in hand has no index of any real usefulness, but that lack is common among the book-makers of the Continent, although the Germans are now giving a great deal of attention to that feature. Professor Blanco's book is of much value and interest in the present state of economics. HENRY LEFFMANN.
INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY. A manual for student and manufacturer. By Allen Rogers, in conjunction with many collaborators. In two volumes, paged consecutively. Vol. i, Inorganic. Vol. 2, Organic. Total pages, xliii-I267, with special index for Vol. I, liberally iUustrated, 8vo. New York, D. Van Nostrand Company, 1925. Price, $1o. It is noted on the title page of these volumes that the total issue has been twenty thousand, which is evidence of the merit of the work. This record has been made since 1912 when the first copyright was taken. A very large
830
BOOK REVIEWS.
[J'. F. I.
list of collaborating specialists in the various industries is given, and works chemists, students and manufacturers may be assured that they have safe and sane guides in all the various applications of chemistry in large-scale operations. Liberal and good illustrations add to the serviceability of the work. The more important subjects are treated in considerable detail, for instance, the chapter on " Rubber" gives much information about the occurrence of the plants yielding latex. Similar thoroughness is seen almost everywhere in the work. It appears, however, that in connection with the glass industry there is a notable failure to speak of the methods of manufacture and the grades of the quartz glass now familiar in the market, which promise to be of such varied use and applications both in industries and in the laboratory. The article was written by a manufacturer of the standard material, and naturally he has no special interest or information about the subject of quartz glass. " P y r e x " does not appear in the index, and although an analysis of Jena glass is given, no data are furnished about the American product. The paging of the two volumes, as noted, is consecutive. A useful arrangement is a separate index for Vol. I, and then a complete index in Vol. 2. It seems to be time now to drop the medieval method of paging in Roman numerals and use the common numerals only, considering the title page as " L" and proceed from that to the end of the book. The present edition will maintain the reputation and authority that the work has had since it was first issued. HENRY LEFFMANN. OSTWALD-LUTHER PI-IYSIKO-CHEMISCHE MESSUNGEN. Fourth edition, xx-814 pages, 51o illustrations, 8vo. Leipzig, The Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft m.b.H., I925. Price, $8.35. The first edition of this work appeared in 1893 under the authorship of W. Ostwald. It was in due time exhausted, but the occupation of the author in other departments of research delayed the issue of the second edition and R. Luther was joined in the work and has since carried on the further issues. The book presents a most comprehensive and thorough summary of the methods of exact measurement in all departments of physical and chemical research. It is elaborately illustrated, mostly with very neat and clear line drawings which are more pleasing and more explanatory than the photogravures or wood-block iIIustratlons now common in books on such topics. There is a tendency at the present day to illustrate text-books with cuts borrowed from catalogues of dealers. Considerable expense has no doubt been incurred in preparing the many drawings for the book, but it results in neatness of the page and explicitness of the data. An example of the thoroughness of the work is to be found in the section on stop-cocks. A great variety of these, adapted to all the purposes of the research worker, are figured. Liability of the plugs to become grooved thus causing leakage is pointed out. It is stated that quartz stops are now in the market. These will be a boon to the average laboratory worker, who has often to wrestle with a plug that has got stuck. The quartz stop can be heated without much risk. The first edition of the book was issued in 1893, and was, therefore, what was then called " fin de si~cle." Nordau satirized in his book " Entartung,"
BOOK REVIEWS.
82 9
n must be at least 45. In addition to this discussion there is a considerable amount of information as to the nature of the varnishes, the data of physical chemistry being drawn upon for explanation. The book is therefore a comprehensive treatment of the field to which it is devoted. HENRY LEFFMANN. APROVECHAMIENTO DE LAS ENERGIAS NATURALES. Estudio descriptivo y razonado de los modernos m6todos que la t6cnica y la economia aconsejan para el aprovechamiento m~s perfecto posible de las fuentes naturales de energia. By Juan Gelpi Blanco, Engineer and Professor in the Barcelona Institute of Applied Physical Science. 283 pages, illustrations, 8vo. Barcelona, Libreria Subirana, 1924. Price, 24 pesetas. The utilization of the energies of nature to the consideration of which this work is devoted is undoubtedly among the most important questions to which engineers can devote their investigations. "['he store of coal and oil is, indeed, still enormous, and there is no immediate danger of exhaustion, but as regards coal the labor question is becoming more and more serious and just at present one most important source of fuel is cut off without any encouraging indication of the resumption of the mining of it. In his preface, the author calls attention to the interest that the nations are showing in developing their sources of power within their respective borders. The war, of course, stimulated such efforts. Barcelona, the city in which Professor Blanco teaches and works, is a centre of Spanish industry, and it is not surprising, therefore, that an extended and thorough study of natural sources of power should be undertaken by him. The book is both a practical and theoretical treatment of the topics. The fear that each great nation has concerning the danger of its dependence on others for any important supply has introduced, as the author points out, a new guiding principle in economics: " Bastarse a si mismo " - - " Be self-sufficient." Wind, waves, tides and waterfalls are among the topics considered. The fact that the work is written in Spanish must, of course, restrict somewhat its field of usefulness, but Spanish is really the best of the Continental tongues and would suit excellently as an international language. It is as nearly phonetic as a living language can be, its syntax is more simple than that of any other Continental tongue and there are few accented letters. The book in hand has no index of any real usefulness, but that lack is common among the book-makers of the Continent, although the Germans are now giving a great deal of attention to that feature. Professor Blanco's book is of much value and interest in the present state of economics. HENRY LEFFMANN.
INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY. A manual for student and manufacturer. By Allen Rogers, in conjunction with many collaborators. In two volumes, paged consecutively. Vol. i, Inorganic. Vol. 2, Organic. Total pages, xliii-I267, with special index for Vol. I, liberally iUustrated, 8vo. New York, D. Van Nostrand Company, 1925. Price, $1o. It is noted on the title page of these volumes that the total issue has been twenty thousand, which is evidence of the merit of the work. This record has been made since 1912 when the first copyright was taken. A very large
830
BOOK REVIEWS.
[J'. F. I.
list of collaborating specialists in the various industries is given, and works chemists, students and manufacturers may be assured that they have safe and sane guides in all the various applications of chemistry in large-scale operations. Liberal and good illustrations add to the serviceability of the work. The more important subjects are treated in considerable detail, for instance, the chapter on " Rubber" gives much information about the occurrence of the plants yielding latex. Similar thoroughness is seen almost everywhere in the work. It appears, however, that in connection with the glass industry there is a notable failure to speak of the methods of manufacture and the grades of the quartz glass now familiar in the market, which promise to be of such varied use and applications both in industries and in the laboratory. The article was written by a manufacturer of the standard material, and naturally he has no special interest or information about the subject of quartz glass. " P y r e x " does not appear in the index, and although an analysis of Jena glass is given, no data are furnished about the American product. The paging of the two volumes, as noted, is consecutive. A useful arrangement is a separate index for Vol. I, and then a complete index in Vol. 2. It seems to be time now to drop the medieval method of paging in Roman numerals and use the common numerals only, considering the title page as " L" and proceed from that to the end of the book. The present edition will maintain the reputation and authority that the work has had since it was first issued. HENRY LEFFMANN. OSTWALD-LUTHER PI-IYSIKO-CHEMISCHE MESSUNGEN. Fourth edition, xx-814 pages, 51o illustrations, 8vo. Leipzig, The Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft m.b.H., I925. Price, $8.35. The first edition of this work appeared in 1893 under the authorship of W. Ostwald. It was in due time exhausted, but the occupation of the author in other departments of research delayed the issue of the second edition and R. Luther was joined in the work and has since carried on the further issues. The book presents a most comprehensive and thorough summary of the methods of exact measurement in all departments of physical and chemical research. It is elaborately illustrated, mostly with very neat and clear line drawings which are more pleasing and more explanatory than the photogravures or wood-block iIIustratlons now common in books on such topics. There is a tendency at the present day to illustrate text-books with cuts borrowed from catalogues of dealers. Considerable expense has no doubt been incurred in preparing the many drawings for the book, but it results in neatness of the page and explicitness of the data. An example of the thoroughness of the work is to be found in the section on stop-cocks. A great variety of these, adapted to all the purposes of the research worker, are figured. Liability of the plugs to become grooved thus causing leakage is pointed out. It is stated that quartz stops are now in the market. These will be a boon to the average laboratory worker, who has often to wrestle with a plug that has got stuck. The quartz stop can be heated without much risk. The first edition of the book was issued in 1893, and was, therefore, what was then called " fin de si~cle." Nordau satirized in his book " Entartung,"