6 DECEMBER 1890, Page 13

Outlines of General Chemistry. By Wilhelm Ostwald. Translated by James

Walker, D.Sc. (Macmillan and Co.)—An exposition such as this is, by Professor Ostwald, of the standing of physical chemistry at the present day, is just the sort of treatment which the general student is thankful for. It does not bewilder him, for it is sure to be accurate, and it is certain to reveal a firm grasp of the great principles of chemical physics. Both the chemist and the physicist value such work, when well done, and if it does not dwell specially on any one point, it is valuable as reminding both of the importance and intimate relation between their respective studies. Thermo-chemistry receives a full treatment at the writer's hands, and there is also a suggestive chapter on electro-chemical relations. We might have heard a little more about the atomic weights and their numerical relations. The style is clear and expresses the matter well, and does not err on the side of diffuseness.