Harry Schmidt. Problems of Modern Chemistry in a Popular Exposition. Translated from the German by A. I. Smirnov, edited by Prof. N. N. Andreev. Popular-Science Library. State Publishing House, Moscow, 1922, pp. 100 + IV.

The problems of modern chemistry touched upon in H. Schmidt’s little book are chiefly problems connected with the structure of the atom. Its ten chapters discuss the doctrine of radioactive elements, the Rutherford–Bohr theory of atomic structure, the Stark and Kossel theories of valency, isotopy, Rutherford’s experiments on the artificial disintegration of elements, and so on.

From this brief enumeration it is already clear that Schmidt’s book embraces a fairly broad range of problems in modern physics and chemistry, while the very titles of the chapters (“The Chemical Atom as a Planetary System,” “The Dreams of the Alchemists Become Truth,” etc.) show that the author seeks to attract the attention of the unprepared reader. The exposition is, on the whole, quite well adapted to such reading, although this is not maintained everywhere. Some chapters, however, are read with absorbing interest—for example, the chapter “From Chemistry’s Billionth Part of a Milligram,” devoted to a detailed description of Paneth’s experiments, in which he succeeded in obtaining bismuth-containing

and lead hydride, using isotopic radioactive decays as indicators. This chapter will be read with pleasure even by the specialist.

The translation has been done well and reads very easily; the appearance of the edition is quite neat.

É. Shpolsky.