BIny 10, 10% 522 CHEMISTRY Ah?> ’ INDUSTRY

fication of iron is really a iron containing a certain amount of y iron in solution. This theory is a dozen yearn old and has found numerous adherents among the leading authorities, so that it is hardly one to be passed ovcr absolutely without reference in a tes-book with any pretension to accuracy or completeness.

Tho author gives an elaboratc graphic inetliod for calculating tlie heat balalicc of thc blast furnace and insists upon treating the sliaftsand the boslics RS separate entities; he applied this method to the discussion of the workiiig of a furnace of the Wisconsin Stccl Company in 1915, as described by N r . H. P. Howland (Trans. Atuer. Inst. Blin. Eng., vol. LVI., 1916, page 339) ; Prof. J. 11‘. Richards in tlic subsequent discussion cliaracterised it 0s “ rat her involrcd ant1 strained reasoning,” which not inn tly dcscribcs the method in question. Jf

a papcr by Mr. F. Clenicnts on “ British Blast Furnace Practice” in the Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute for 1920, rol. CI., p g e 826, he would hare found a far more satisfactory method of calcu- lating thcrnial balances. Again, 110 could with iinicli advantage consult a subsequent paper (1922) by tlie samc author on “ British Siciucns Furnace Practice,” a study of which i~ould greatly improve his chapter upon the opcn-hearth process. It is, by the way, somewhat incomprehensible why the author should insist upon lookiiig upon the oro process as a nierc modification of tlie Martin pig and scrap process, seeing that it was evolrcd quite indcpciidcntly and that. alt81iough tlic modem open-hearth process is a combhiation of both, i t is really based far mom upon the vork of Dr. Siemens t11an of n1essrS. 3Inrtll.

It is perhaps unnecessary to discuss the book in any further detail ; it might have been a good book twenty ycnrs ago; it is ho lessly out of date

disfigured by very numerous misprints. Altogether a thoroughly disappointing bool;.

Prof. 3 ? atlicsius had taken the trouble to consult

to-day. It is also regrettab r e that tho work is

H. LOUIS

SOLUBILITY. BY JOEL H. HILDEIIIMSD, -4nierican Chemical Society Monogmpli Series. 1’11. 206. New York : The Chemical Catalogue Co., 1924. Price $ 3 .

Since Rot~hmund’s book niciny years ago little of a systematic nat.ure has been published on, the subjcct of solubility as a phenonicnon possessing a physico-chemical mechanism.

The spirit of Hildebrand’s book is shown by the Preface, which manifests a liberal and philosophic mind. The author, as becomes onc who resides a t ‘Berkeley, Calif., is evidently permeated by tlie concept of fugacity and its allied functions. An important aspect of the work, in fact, is the exposition of the rale which such thermo-dynamic quantities play in solution and solubility problems. “ Our fundamental problem, therefore, is to determine so far a8 possible how tho escaping tendencies of tho various components of a solution may be expccted to vary, first with the composition of the solution, and second with tho nature of the components. It is

evident that this is ti problem of great. importance, both from the theoretical and the practical stand- points, and that much of modern physical chemistry is concerned with it.” For the sake of brevity the author assumes considerable familiarity with the well-known book of G. N. Lewis and Riiiidall : and as most physicnl chemists are, or ought to be, familiar a t least generally with this work, the method adopted by Hildcbrand is commendable.

The general nature and scope of the book will be gatliered from tlic following, which is an abbrcviatcd list of chapter headings : The ideal solution- Rnoult’s law ; deviations from Raoult’s law and tlicir causes ; polarity, internal pressure, and solva- tion : vapour pressure of liquid mixtures ; solubility of gascs, of liquicts, of solid non-elcctrolytcs, and of electrolytes ; partition of solutes bctwccn iiiiniiscible liquids : nietcdlic solutions : solubility untl various related phcnomciin.

A perusal of this work impresses one wry much with the advances which have bcen made within recent years in our understanding of tlic factors which govern solubility and the nature of the resulting systems. From a record of empirical fact tlicre is gradually emerging a coherent body of eonccpts and generalisations. Naturally, the development has been nx-y unequiil along various directions, certain .aspects being represcnted by little morc than qunli- tativo speculation. That the problem as a ~ ~ ~ I i o l c is still far from being understood is evident from tlic following quotation (p. 117) : “ The prediction of clicmical coni1)ination is (however) thc main goal of chemistry, nnd until it is reached the problem of soliibility will likcwisc remain more or lcss unsolved.”

The editors of the American Chemienl Society Monograph Series have been particularly fortunate in certain of t h i r contributors, and in none more so than in tlie prescnt instance.

P~LANZENUNTE~UCIIUNGEN, HAXDBUCII DER BIOLOG-

No. 4. Edited by PXOP. E. ADDERHALDEE. Pp. 656-7M. Berlin : Urban & Scliwaizcnberg, 1924. Price 5.25. s.f.

The part undcr review forms the 121st of the well- known Handbook published under the general editorship of Prof. E. Abderhalden and contains two cssays-onc entitled “ Methoden dcr Viskositiits- bestimniungen des lebenden Protoplasmas ’’ and the other “Blethoden zur Feststollung der Keim- fiihigkeit von Pflanzensamen ” contributed respect- ively by Fried1 Webcr and Karl Muller. In the fornicr the nietliods of determining the viscosity of living protoplasni arc described undcr two headings -those designed for inore or lcss aecurato measure- ment and those intended to give approximato esti- mates only of tlic viscosity. Under the first are described methods based upon an adaptation of tho falling sphere viscosimcter, in which the rate of movement of partielcs in protoplasm is determined under either centrifugal or gravitational force, or else the movolnent of small particles of iron intro- duced into the cell from without is measured when in R magnetic field. For the approximato esti- mation of viscosity the author describes in detail

W. C. 11. LEWIS

ISCIIEN hBEITSMETIIODEN. AIIT. XI. Part 2.

Y i y 10, 1924 CHEMISTRY AM> INDUSTRY 638

the methods and apparatus of Kite and Chambers for micro-clissecticn ; ern loying these methods the protoplasm can be pric E ed, kneaded, teased and drawn out into threads, etc., and the results arc campared with those obtained under similar con- ditions from gelatin solutions of various known concentrations ; othcr methods include those based upon observations of kntaphorcsis, Broniiian niove- ment, and plasmolysis. A perusal of this css,zy will convince the reader of the difficulty inbcrent In the determinations and the ingenuity of tlic niethods employed.

In the second cssay, clcaling with the germinating p o w r of seccls, the author bcgins by describing in detail the effect of vnrious factors, such as oxygen, heat, cold, water and light upon gcrniinntion and then proceeds to an account of the methods, media, and nppnratus employed in experiments on ger- mination, togctlier with suggestions for the design of a gcrminating chamber. The article concludes with an alphabetical list of D number of common sccds in which are given, in tabular form, partieulnrs of media, temperature and other details t o be observed in dcttrmining germinating power in accordancc wit11 the technical instructions laid down by tho Gernian I'cerband land\~,i.irtscliaftlic}ier Vcr- suchsstationen. Those intcrcsted in thc important subject of sccd germination will find here n useful summary of the more important methods cmploycd in the investigation of the subject.

P. HAAS

DIE TECIINISCHE QILO~~L~LI-ELE~TROL~S~. By DR. J. BILLITER. Pp. viii+79. Drcsden and Leipzig : Theodor Stcinkopff , 1924. Price, 2GO gold marks.

This litt,lc volume is tlic sccond in a series of mono- graphs which is being piiblishcd by 3%. Steinkopff on recent ndiwices in tcchnical proccsses. Within tho scope of about 80 pagcv the innnufacture by electrolysis, of caustic soda, sodium carbonate and chlorine, liypoclilorite, clilorate and perchlorate are &scribed. About half of this is devoted to tho dcscription of alkali processcv which employ solid (eon-mercury) cathodes, ailother 14 pages bcing rcscrvcd for the ndvanccs that have been made in this brniicli during the last ten years. The book is wcll arranged. It gives a good survey of the whole field covered, and is clearly written and illustrated where necessary. Statistics arc given, in most cases showing the extent to which the several processes nre employed, as revealed by tho horsepower used. Obsolete methods nre not described. Tlie very great cxhmsion ~vliich the solid-cathode proccsses for caustic s o h have exprienccd in reccnt ycars will perhaps come as a surprise to many. Tho hook will bc useful, not only to students, but also to tlioso engaged in the clieiuical industry who wish to obtain a clear idea of the advantages and difficulties inherent in the several methods of manufacture. Coming 11s it docs from the pcii of one who has himself con- tributed 80 conspiouously to the advnnccment of tho subjeat described it should find n wide circlo of readers. HENRY J. S . SAND

COMPANY NEWS THE SALAR DEL CARMEN NITRATE SYNDICATE,

LTD. In presenting the Report and Accounts of the

Snlar dcl Carmen Nitrate Syndicate, Ltd., the chnir- iiian said that their net profit during the yenr ended December 31 last amounted to €78,053, and adding this to €16,218 brought fonvard from the previous year, there was a total credit on profit and loss account of €94,271. The rlircctors proposed to set aside E20,OOO to rcscrw account and to apply €7039 to reduction of plant aiid macliincry account. It was rcconinicndecl to p iy a final cliviclcnd of 25 per cent. lcss tns, making the total distribution for the year 30 per cent., compared with 25 per cent. in respect

-of the ycar 1923. The amount carried fonvnrd was €lG,949.

Considering tlic unscttlcd economic conditions \vhich existcd throughout the greater part of the world, the chairruan thought that the position of nitrate was encournging, the total consuniption of nitrnte duiing tile ycar endcd June 30, 1924, being cstiniatcd n t about 2,180,000 tons, an incrcase of 30,000 t. on tlic previous year.

In Nonvny, owing to strikes, the nianufacturelr; of nitrntc of lime 1vho had sold ahead, had been unable to deliwr about 25,000 t. in time for the season's use, and an incrcnsc in Chilean nitrnte husincss liad consequently takcn plnce in Scandinavia. In France the Government had votcd a substantial sum of money for the csploitation of the Habcr process, the rights for which were purchased from Germany some time ago, but the plant was not expected to be ready for two or tlirec years. In the United Kingdom, a t Billingham, the Brunnrr h101id plant had i~lniost reached the production stage. The chairman finally rcferrcd to the Nitrate Producexs' Association, foruicd in 1O1O, and due to tcrminatc at June 30 next. Negotiations xscrc, howcver, pro- ceeding with a view to the rcnewing of the Associa- tion for a further period of six years, on the under- standing thnt at the end of the first t h e yclrlr; meinbers of the Association may, if they \viSh, revert to frce selling of nitrate. ALrcady producers, repre- senting B& per cent. of tho total productive capacity, lind voted in favour of renewing on the~c terms.

The nieeting closed with tlic re-election of the Rt. Hon. Lord Forres aiid BIr. A. Naylor as directors of the company.

BRITISH COTTON AND WOOL DYERS' ASSOCXATlON %tic report of t.he aborc company for the year

to March 31, 1924, shows n net profit of €150,233, as compared with €176,547 for t,he previous ycar. The amount brought forward was f37,132, making avail- ahlo €187,365. A dividend of 10 per cent. on the orcljnary shares is proposed, as against 15 per cent. last year. The amount to be trnnsferrcd to reserve is €50,000 (makhg that fund €81,459); E6,OOO is to be placed to investmcnt contingency fund (bringing that fund to €3;3ri,OOO) ; $10,000 to eiuployees' benefit fund (€20,000 last ycap), and tho sum of w,949 hns been carried forward.