(1) Fundamental Principles of Organic Chemistry (2) A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry (3) A Dictionary of Chemical Solubilities Inorganic

Abstract

(1) THE wealth of material comprehended by JL organic chemistry constitutes a very real and formidable difficulty to the instructor in that branch of science. It is calculated that up to the present time more than two hundred thousand organic substances have been discovered and described, and the number is being steadily added to week after week. It is obviously impossible for any lecturer on the subject to deal with more than a very small fraction of this materia chemica. Nor is there any reason why he should. Fifty or sixty years ago organic chemistry was scarcely taught in our universities, and, even when taught, was treated in a lifeless, unsystematic manner. Students, far from being attracted towards it, were frankly bored by the uninteresting recapitulation of empirical facts, methods of preparation, and physical properties, which usually made up the substance of the teacher's prelections. All this, however, is now changed. The enormous accretion of fact has been brought under law and order. The whole has been collated, and, for the most part, reduced to fundamental principles. The view of the village is no longer obscured by the houses.

(1) Fundamental Principles of Organic Chemistry.

By Prof. C. Moureu. Authorised Translation from the Sixth French Edition by W. T. K. Braunholtz. Pp. xviii + 399. (London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1921.) 12s. 6d. net.

(2) A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry.

Edited by Dr. J. N. Friend. Vol. 9, part 2, Iron and its Compounds. By Dr. J. N. Friend. (Griffin's Scientific Text-books.) Pp. xxv + 265. (London: Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., 1921.) 18s.

(3) A Dictionary of Chemical Solubilities. Inorganic.

First edition by Dr. A. M. Comey. Second edition, enlarged and revised, by Dr. A. M. Comey and Prof. Dorothy A. Hahn. Pp. xviii + 1141. (New York: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1921.) 72s. net.