Hf AUTHORS PREFACE. Most of the short text-books ofO rganic Chemistry contain a great number of isolated facts; the number of compounds described in them is so considerable as to confuse the beginner Moreover, the theoretical grounds on which this division of the science is based are often kept in the background; for example, the proofs given of the constitutional formuke frequently leave much to be desired. However useful these books may be for reference, they are often ill-suited for text-books, as many students have learned from their own experience. In this book I have endeavoured to keep the number of unconnected facts within as narrow limits as possible, and to give prominence to the theory underlying the subject. For this reason, a proof of the structure of most of the compounds is given. This was not possible for the higher substitution-products of the aromatic series, so that the methods of orientation employed in it are described in a special chapter. Physico-chemical theories, such as the laws of equilibrium, ionization, and others, are becoming more and more prominent in organic chemistry. I have attempted in many instances to show how useful they are in this branch of the science. Such important technical processes as the manufacture of alcohol, cane-sugar, etc., are also included. The book is essentially a text-book, and makes no claim to be aB eilstein in a very compressed form. I am deeply indebted toD r. A. Jamiesox Walkp:r for the excellent way in which he has carried out the difficult task of translating this book from the original second Dutch edition into English. Lastly, it may be mentioned that it has also been translated into German, the second edition having just appeared, and that an Italian edition is in preparation. A. F. HOLLEMAN. Qboninoen, Netherlands, November,
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

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