A Well-known Text-Book of Chemistry

Abstract

You have thought proper to admit to your columns a long and rambling notice of my “Manual of Chemistry,” by Mr. M. M. Pattison Muir. It is difficult to make out from this what, definitely, is the charge which the writer brings against the book, but the article winds up with the statement that in his opinion “this book is not a success.” I have the satisfaction of believing that chemists will derive little except amusement from this expression of Mr. Muir's opinion; but, as presumably NATURE is read by a portion of the general public and by some scientific persons who may not be acquainted with Mr. Muir's chemical idiosyncrasy, I desire to say, more in the interests of my publishers than of myself, that this opinion of his is not shared by the writer of any one, so far as I have seen, of the notices which have appeared in other papers.