FERUABY 28, 1908] SCIENCE 343

Immunochemistry. The Application of the if a variable has been overlooked its effects can
Principles of Physical Chemistry to the easily be added to the results; while without
Study of the Biological Antibodies. By an attempt at the utmost simplification in the
SVANTE ARRHENIUS. New York, The Mae- beginning no start and no progress' would
millan Company. Pp. 309. $1.60. have been possible.
During the last year Arrhenius has pub- The writer of this review would especially
lished three books which, in the opinion of call the attention of the younger biologists to
the reviewer, embody the most advanced re- the importance of a study of Arrhenius's
sults and conceptions of modern science in a books. JACQUES LOEB
-classical form. Those who are interested in
the methodology of science and the theory of The Electrical Conductivity of Aqueous Solu-
cognition will learn by what methods those tions. A Report presented by ARTHUR A.
scientists, of whom Arrhenius is a representa- NOYES, W. D. COOLDGE, A. C. MELCHER, H.
tive, are able to build on certainty instead C. COOPER, YOGORO KATO, R B. SosMAN, G.
of upon the vague basis of hypothesis.; and W. EASTMAN, C. W. KANOLT and W.
those who doubt whether or not we have B6TTGER. Contribution from the Research
reached any definite conception of the nature Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of the
of matter will find authoritative information Massachusetts Institute of Technology No.
in the books of Arrhenius. These books are: 19. Carnegie Institution of Washington,
(1) " The Theories of Chemistry," (2) "Das Publication No. 63. Pp. vi + 352.
Werden der Welten," (3) " Immunochem- This volume is a report on a monumental
istry." The English edition of the latter has series of investigations which have been in
just appeared and it is to this that we wish progress in Professor Noyes's laboratory dur-
to call special attention. ing the past five years upon the electrical con-
After Metchnikoff had made the attempt ductivity of aqueous solutions of certain salts,
to explain the phenomena of immunity by acids and bases through a wide range of tem-
phagocytosis Ehrlich showed that immunity peratures extending from 180 to 3060. The
is due to a chemical reaction between toxin work was undertaken with the expectation of
and antitoxin. With the clear foresight studying the properties of aqueous solutions
which has characterized the scientific career at temperatures up to the critical tempera-
of this brilliant investigator he saw that the ture and beyond, a task burdened with very
ultimate proof for the correctness of the serious difficulties, as will be realized when
purely chemical conception of the phenomena one recalls that the critical temperature of
of immunity could only be furnished by the water is in the neighborhood of 3600, and that
physical chemist. Through the influence of at this temperature the conductivity cell must
Madsen, Arrhenius was induced to undertake not only safely withstand a pressure of some-
this task. Partly alone, partly in collabora- thing like 200 atmospheres without leaking
tion with Madsen and his school, he solved and without contaminating the dilute solu-
the problem in the only way on which it could tions employed, but must also do this under
be solved-namely, by showing that the ac- such conditions as will permit accurate con-
tion of the antitoxin upon the toxin followed trol of the temperature, volume and con-
the law of Guldberg and Waage. In the ex- ductivity of the solutions.
ecution of this task he adopted the principles IUp to the present time the highest tempera-
of eliminating the unnecessary and disturbing ture reached is 3060, but to one who studies
variables and presenting the results as the the ingenious manner in which the experi-
function of the minimal number of inde- mental difficulties have so far been overcome
pendent variables. The fact that this prin- there can be no doubt that the original plan
ciple is not sufficiently appreciated by biolo- will be ultimately realized.
gists has led here, as in all similar cases, to Among the important results presented in
some opposition. It is, however, obvious that this volume are data showing the effects of
344 SCIENCE [N. S. VOL. XXVII. No. 687

widely varying temperature conditions on the on the dissociation of weak acids and bases
specific volumes of water and water solutions, is even more marked, as is shown by the
on the equivalent conductivities of electro- change of the affinity constant of acetic acid
lytes, on the specific migration velocities of from 0.0000183 at 180 to 0.000000139 at 3060,
the ions, on the degree of ionization of various and of ammonium hydroxide from 0.0000172
solutes, on the self-ionization of water and on at 180 to 0.000000093 at 3060.
hydrolysis. In view of the diverse opinions which have
The effect of rising temperature is to been expressed concerning the connection be-
enormously increase the equivalent con- tween the dielectric constant of a solvent and
ductivity of aqueous solutions and the speed its ionizing power, it is interesting to note
with which the ions travel in such solutions, that these researches show that the ratio of
the speed of the latter continuing to increase the concentration of the un-ionized portion of
even after the equivalent conductance has the solute at two different temperatures (at
reached a maximum value, thence to decline least up to 1000, the limit to which the
with rising temperature. The significant ob- dielectric constant of water is known) agrees
servations have also been made that the spe- very well with the ratio of the dielectric con-
cific velocities of all monovalent ions tend stants for the same temperature interval.
toward equality with rising temperature, while Since the equivalent colnductan'ce of an
divalent ions approach a value double that of electrolyte is a functicn of two variables,
monovalent ions. These tendencies, together specific speed of the ions and the degree of
with the effect of rising temperature on con- ionization, and since the effect of changinig
ductance, are illustrated by the behavior of temperature on the ionization is most con-
potassium chloride and hydrochloric acid. spicuous at higher temperatures, it follows
The equivalent conductances of potassium that the equivalent conductance must pass
chloride and hydrochloric acid, extrapolated through a maximum value thence to diminish
for zero concentration, which at 180 are re- continuously towards zero as the tem-lperatuire
spectively 130.1 and 379.0 reciprocal ohms, passes the critical point. This maximum has
have been found to be 1,120 and 1,424 re- been realized in the case of a considerable
spectively at 3060. number of solutes, especially in the more coni-
Various investigators have called attention centrated solutions.
to the fact of a connection between the viscos- Quite contrary to the influence of risinag
ity of the solvent and ionic velocities. It is temperature in diminishing the dissociation of
shown in these investigations that the con- electrolytes in solution is the effect oIn the
ductance of salt solutions increases with rising ionization of water itself. The ionization
temperature at practically the same rate constant of water rises with tremendous
as the fluidity of the solvent, at any rate up rapidity up to 100', thence more slowly.
to 1560, which is the limit to which viscosity reaching a maximum value over 5,000 times
measurements have been made. the value at zero, after which it decreases
Increase of temperature has been found to with further rise of temperature. This great
be accompanied by a marked diminution of increase in the ionization of water with risinig
the ionization of the solute and especially at temperature, together with its weaker ionizing
higher temperatures the rate of decrease be- effect on electrolytes in solution, accounits for
comes very great. For example, in a 0.01 the enormously greater tendency of salts to
normal solution of hydrochloric acid, the hydrolyze at higher temperatures.
percentage ionization at 180 is 97.1, while at As at ordinary temperatures, so also at
306° it is but 82 per cent. Of an 0.08 normal higher, the mass law does not apply to solu-
solution of potassium sulfate, 73 per cent. of tions of salts, strong acids and bases. On
the solute is present as ions at 180, while at the other hand, the applicability of the lawv to
3060 only 23 per cent. is present in the ionic weak acids and bases has been shown to be
condition. The effect of rise of temperature independent of the temperature. In this coIn-
FEBRUARY 28, 1908] SCIENCE 345
nection it is important to note that in the by 0. D. Kellogg; "Note on the Composition
summary to this series of papers Dr. Noyes of Finite Rotations about Parallel Axes," by
expresses his conviction that "the ionization Alexander Ziwet; " On an Integral appearing
of salts, strong acids and strong bases is a in Photometry," by A. S. Chessin; "iermitian
phenomenon primarily determined not by spe- Forms with Zero Determinant," by J. I.
cific chemical affinities, but by electrical Hutchinson; " Two Tetraedron Theorems," by
forces arising from the charges on the ions, H. S. White; " Singular Points of a Simple
that it is not affected, excepting in a second- Kind of Differential Equation of the Second
ary degree by chemical mass action, but is Order," by C. A. Noble; "The Theory of
regulated by certain general, comparatively Electricity " (review of Abraham's Theorie der
simple laws, fairly well established empiric- Elektrizitait, volume 2), by E. B. Wilson;
ally, but of unknown theoretical significance, "Notes ;" " New Publications."
and that, therefore, it is a phenomenon quite
distinct in almost all aspects from the phe- The March number of the Bulletin con-
nomenon of dissociation ordinarily exhibited tains: Report of the Fourteenth Annual
by chemical substances, including that of the Meeting of the Society, by F. N. Cole; Re-
ionization of weak acids and bases." ports of the December Meeting of the Chicago
It is scarcely necessary to emphasize the im- Section and of the Joint Meetings at Chicago
portance of such a study of aqueous solutions of Mathematicians and Engineers, by H. E.
as Professor Noyes has inaugurated, for, in Slaught; Report of the Fifty-eighth Meeting
addition to the direct physical and chemical of the American Association for the Advance-
significance of the knowledge thus to be ment of Science, by G. A. Miller; " Shorter
gained, every one will recognize the im- Notices " (Larmor's Memoir of G. H. Darwin,
portance of such investigations in their bear- by E. W. Brown; Lambert's Computation and
ing on certain phases of chemical technology Mensuration, by E. W. Ponzer; Schiitte's
and chemical geology. E. C. FRANKLIN Darstellende Geometrie fur Gymnasien, by
STANFORD UNIVERSITY Virgil Snyder; Thompson's Petrus Peregrinus,
by F. Cajori; Broggi's Traite des Assurances
SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES de la Vie, by G. H. Ling); "Notes;" "New
Publications."
THE opening (January) number of volume
9 of the Transactions of the American Mathe- SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES
matical Society contains the following papers: THE SOCIETY OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
F. L. GRIFFIN: "Certain periodic orbits of k
finite bodies revolving about a relatively large
IN place of the regular meeting of the So-
central mass." ciety of Chemical Industry on January 24, a
G. H. DARWIN: "Further note on Maclaurin's joint meeting of the Society of Chemical
spheroid." Industry, the American Chemical Society,
O. D. KELLOGG: "Potential functions on the the American Electro-Chemical Society, the
boundary of their regions of definition." Chemists' Club of New York City and the
0. D. KELLOGG: "Double distributions and the Verein Deutscher Chemiker was held for the
Dirichlet problem." presentation of the Perkin Medal to Mr. J. B.
G. A. MILLER: "Groups defined by the orders F. Herreshoff. Mr. George C. Stone was in
of two generators and the order of their com- the chair.
mutator." After a few introductory remarks by the
E. J. WILCZYNSKI: " Projective differential
geometry of curved surfaces. (Second memoir.)" chairman, in which he emphasized the im-
portance of stimulating chemical research by
The February number (volume 14, number proper recognition, and bringing to the atten-
5) of the Bulletin of the American Mathe- tion of the audience the life-work of Sir Per-
matical Society contains: Report of the First kin, who not only discovered a new product,
Regular Meeting of the Southwestern Section, but worked out its manufacture, developed