Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry for 1932

Abstract

THE appearance at the end of each February of the “Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry”, issued by the Chemical Society, is naturally an event of some importance in the chemical world. The value of this publication is not, however, restricted to chemists, but is apparent to those who are interested in almost any of the natural sciences. This year the report on general and physical chemistry is the joint work of Mr. E. J. Bowen, Mr. C. N. Hinshelwood, Dr. N. V. Sidgwick, Dr. H. W. Thompson, and Mr. J. H. Wolfenden, each of whom has written one or more of the nine sections: general; the ‘true’ degree of dissociation of strong electrolytes; the thermochemistry of electrolytes; quantum mechanics and electrochemistry; chemical kinetics; photochemistry; flames and the mechanism of chemical change; the structure of simple molecules from spectroscopic, X-ray, and electron diffraction data; and general stereochemistry. Prof. H. Bassett again reports on inorganic chemistry, Dr. J. J. Fox and Mr. B. A. Ellis on analytical chemistry, Mr. A. G. Pollard and Mr. J. Pryde on biochemistry. The reports on organic chemistry are on this occasion contributed by Dr. E. H. Farmer (aliphatic), Dr. G. A. R. Kon (homocyclic) and Dr. H. King (heterocyclic). The report on geochemistry by Mr. A. F. Hallimond covers 1931 and 1932, whilst that on radio activity and sub-atomic phenomena, by Dr. A. S. Russell, is also a two-year report. Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry for 1932. Vol. 29. Pp. 344. (London: Chemical Society, 1933.) 10s. 6d. net.