Abrasives,249-251Acetanilid,87Acetone,125,154,243,245Acetylene,30,154,240-248,257,307,308Acheson,249Air, liquefied,33Alcohol, ethyl,101,102,127,174,190-194,242-244,305methyl,101,102,127,191Aluminum,31,246-248,255,272,284Ammonia,27,29,31,33,56,64,250American dye industry,82Aniline dyes,60-92Antiseptics,86,87Argon,16Art and nature,8,9,170,173Artificial silk,116,118,119Aspirin,84Atomic theory,293-296,299Aylesworth,140Baekeland,137Baeyer, Adolf von,77Bakelite,138,303Balata,159Bauxite,31Beet sugar,165,169,305Benzene formula,67,301,101Berkeley,61Berthelot,7,94Birkeland-Eyde process,26Bucher process,32Butter,201,208Calcium,246,253Calcium carbide,30,239Camphor,100,131Cane sugar,164,167,177,180,305Carbolic acid,18,64,84,101,102,137Carborundum,249-251Caro and Frank process,30Casein,142Castner,246Catalyst,28,204Celluloid,128-135,302Cellulose,110-127,129,137,302Cellulose acetate,118,120,302Cerium,288-290Chemical warfare,218-235,307Chlorin,224,226,250Chlorophyll,267Chlorpicrin,224,226Chromicum,278,280Coal, distillation of,60,64,70,84,301Coal tar colors,60-92Cochineal,79Coconut oil,203,211-215,306Collodion,117,123,130Cologne, eau de,107Copra,203,211-215,306Corn oil,183,305Cotton,112,120,129,197Cocain,88Condensite,141Cordite,18,19Corn products,181-195,305Coslett process,273Cottonseed oil,201Cowles,248Creative chemistry,7Crookes, Sir William,292,299Curie, Madame,292Cyanamid,30,35,299Cyanides,32Diamond,259-261,308Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan,221Drugs, synthetic,6,84,301Duisberg,151Dyestuffs,60-92Edison,84,141Ehrlich,86,87Electric furnace,236-262,307Fats,196-217,306Fertilizers,37,41,43,46,300Flavors, synthetic,93-109Food, synthetic,94Formaldehyde,136,142Fruit flavors, synthetic,99,101Galalith,142Gas masks,223,226,230,231Gerhardt,6,7Glucose,137,184-189,194,305Glycerin,194,203Goldschmidt,256Goodyear,161Graphite,258Guayule,159,304Guncotton,17,117,125,130Gunpowder,14,15,22,234Gutta percha,159Haber process,27,28Hall, C.H.,247Hare, Robert,237,245,307Harries,149Helium,236Hesse,70,72,90Hofmann,72,80Huxley,10Hyatt,128,129,303Hydrogen,253-255Hydrogenation of oils,202-205,306Indigo,76,79Iron,236,253,262-270,308Isoprene,136,146,149,150,154Kelp products,53,142Kekulé's dream,66,301Lard substitutes,209Lavoisier,6Leather substitutes,124Leucite,53Liebig,38Linseed oil,202,205,270Magnesium,283Maize products,181-196,305Manganese,278Margarin,207-212,307Mauve, discovery of,74Mendeléef,285,291Mercerized cotton,115Moissan,259Molybdenum,283,308Munition manufacture in U.S.,33,224,299,307Mushet,279Musk, synthetic,96,97,106Mustard gas,224,227-229Naphthalene,4,142,154Nature and art,8-13,118,122,133Nitrates, Chilean,22,24,30,36Nitric acid derivatives,20Nitrocellulose,17,117Nitrogen, in explosives,14,16,117,299fixation,24,25,29,299Nitro-glycerin,18,117,214Nobel,18,117Oils,196-217,306Oleomargarin,207-212,307Orange blossoms,99,100Osmium,28Ostwald,29,55Oxy-hydrogen blowpipe,246Paper,111,132Parker process,273Peanut oil,206,211,214,306Perfumery, Art of,103-108Perfumes, synthetic,93-109,302Perkin, W.H.,148Perkin, Sir William,72,80,102Pharmaceutical chemistry,6,85-88Phenol,18,64,84,101,102,137Phonograph records,84,141Phosphates,56-59Phosgene,224,225Photographic developers,88Picric acid,18,84,85,226Platinum,28,278,280,284,286Plastics, synthetic,128-143Pneumatic tires,162Poisonous gases in warfare,218-235,307Potash,37,45-56,300Priestley,150,160Purple, royal,75,79Pyralin,132,133Pyrophoric alloys,290Pyroxylin,17,127,125,130Radium,291,295Rare earths,286-288,308Redmanol,140Remsen, Ira,178Refractories,251-252Resins, synthetic,135-143Rose perfume,93,96,97,99,105Rubber, natural,155-161,304synthetic,136,145-163,304Rumford, Count,160Rust, protection from,262-275Saccharin,178,179Salicylic acid,88,101Saltpeter, Chilean,22,30,36,42Schoop process,272Serpek process,31Silicon,249,253Smell, sense of,97,98,103,109Smith, Provost,237,245,307Smokeless powder,15Sodium,148,238,247Soil chemistry,38,39Soy bean,142,211,217,306Starch,137,184,189,190Stassfort salts,47,49,55Stellites,280,308Sugar,164-180,304Sulfuric acid,57Tantalum,282Terpenes,100,154Textile industry,5,112,121,300Thermit,256Thermodynamics, Second law of,145Three periods of progress,3Tin plating,271Tilden,146,298Titanium,278,308TNT,19,21,84,299Trinitrotoluol,19,21,84,299Tropics, value of,96,156,165,196,206,213,216Tungsten,257,277,281,308Uranium,28Vanadium,277,280,308Vanillin,103Violet perfume,100Viscose,116Vitamines,211Vulcanization,161Welding,256Welsbach burner,287-289,308Wheat problem,43,299Wood, distillation of,126,127Wood pulp,112,120,303Ypres, Use of gases at,221Zinc plating,271
Dr. Slosson is nothing short of a prodigy. He is a triple-starred scientist man who can bring down the highest flying scientific fact and tame it so that any of us can live with it and sometimes even love it. He can make a fairy tale out of coal-tar dyes and a laboratory into a joyful playhouse while it continues functioning gloriously as a laboratory. But to readers of "Creative Chemistry" it is wasting time to talk about Dr. Slosson's style.
"Chats On Science," which has just been published, is made up of eighty-five brief chapters or sections or periods, each complete in itself, dealing with a gorgeous variety of subjects. They go from Popover Stars to Soda Water, from How Old Is Disease to Einstein in Words of One Syllable. The reader can begin anywhere, but when he begins he will ultimately read the entire series. It is good science and good reading. It contains some of the best writing Dr. Slosson has ever done.
The Boston Transcript says: "These 'Chats' are even more fascinating, were that possible, than 'Creative Chemistry.' They are more marvelous than the most marvelous of fairy tales ... Even an adequate review could give little idea of the treasures of modern scientific knowledge 'Chats on Science' contains ... Dr. Slosson has, besides rare scientific knowledge, that gift of the gods—imagination."
("Chats on Science" by E.E. Slosson is published by The Century Company, 353 Fourth Avenue, New York City. It is sold for $2.00 at all bookstores, or it may be ordered from the publisher.)