Nernst. Die theoretischen und experimentellen Grundlagen des neuen Wärmesatzes. pp. VIII+218. Halle, 1918.

Beginning in 1906, in a series of articles and books, Nernst developed the doctrine of the new principle of thermodynamics, connected it with the doctrine of chemical equilibria, and gave a number of applications of this doctrine. In the book that we are considering here, Nernst has brought together all his work and has produced a monograph very useful and important for physicists and chemists.

In Chapter I Nernst gives a historical survey of work in the field under investigation. Chapter II is devoted to the experimental methods used by Nernst and others in the study of gas equilibria at low temperatures. Chapter III sets forth the new calorimetric methods introduced into science by Nernst and intended for the study of specific heats at low temperatures.

With these chapters the presentation of the experimental method of investigation comes to an end. Beginning with Chapter IV, Nernst sets forth his investigations of the Dulong–Petit law (Chapter IV), the specific heat of gases (Chapter V), the formulation of the new principle of thermodynamics, and the unattainability of absolute zero (Chapters VI and VII). Subsequently Nernst applies the new principle successively to various cases of physico-chemical processes.

The book will undoubtedly be read with enormous interest by every physicist and physical chemist engaged in thermodynamics; and one can only regret that, owing to the present conditions of communication with foreign countries, the book cannot in Russia receive the wide circulation that it undoubtedly deserves.

P. Lazarev.