W G Palmer

The development of the concept of valency has provided one of the major unifying contributions to the growth of chemistry as a science. The study of its history is therefore of the greatest interest to all chemists and historians of chemistry. After 1930, wave mechanics provided a firm theoretical basis for the arbitrary postulates on which conceptions of atomic structure previously rested and this account, which was originally published in 1965, does not go beyond that point. Dr Palmer preserves the historical outlook of the different chronological stages by including extracts from the publications of the most influential scientists, in the nomenclature and terminology of their time; quotations from German are however accompanied by an English translation. Biographical notes and references help to bring alive the personalities of the scientists and to increase the appeal of the book to those who are not professional chemists or historians of science.j

This second edition was first published in 1959. The first four chapters present a compact elementary account of classical and modern conceptions of valency, suitable for the more general reader and for students preparing for university examinations. The concluding chapters are more advanced: chapter five shows how the electronic theory is applied to the heavier elements and their principal compounds; and the last chapter is devoted to current developments, and theories still in their early stages.

First published in 1941, this book is a useful guide to many aspects of experimental chemistry, with detailed instructions and procedures, and based upon the use of comparatively simple laboratory apparatus.