Abstract
MR. BEARN states in the preface to his book that it is addressed to works managers, students, those engaged in the industry, analysts, and architects. Clearly such a wide field could not be covered satisfactorily in one volume, although each type of reader will find in it something of interest and value. The inevitable result of this ambitious programme is that the analytical and manufacturing details are too sketchy to be of much service to specialists, and the student will find too much of the book taken up by elementary chemistry, the nomenclature of which is generally antiquated and not used consistently. Although the author warns us on p. 214 not to confuse “benzene “with “benzine,” yet he does so himself throughout the book. The size of the volume is unnecessarily increased by dividing the text into numerous small paragraphs, sometimes mere sentences, and there is much repetition. Thus, on p. 29 we are told no less than three times that barytes is an “ideal adulterant” for white lead, and this is repeated in other places. The style on the whole is good and concise, but far too many errors have been overlooked in the proof-reading. Such statements as that amyl alcohol “rotates the flame of polarisation “should not have escaped even a casual reader, yet they are numerous. Many of the line drawings of chemical apparatus are incorrect and show immediately obvious faults. Thus, the Schrotter apparatus on p. 32 has no outlet for gas, the Soxhlet apparatus on p. 22 would not work, and the Liebig's condenser on p. 197 is fitted up in the way all students are taught not to adopt. The half-tone illustrations are well produced but teach nothing as to the working of the plant. Mr. Beam's, book is presumably intended to be useful to business men not connected with the industry, and to give a bird's-eye view of the subject.
The Chemistry of Paints, Pigments and Varnishes.
J. Gauld
Bearn
By. Pp. x + 277 + 11 plates. (London: Ernest Benn, Ltd., 1923.) 30s. net.
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The Chemistry of Paints, Pigments and Varnishes. Nature 113, 383 (1924). https://doi.org/10.1038/113383a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/113383a0