112 JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

certain commercially mails,bl.ble equipment. The second half of the chapter is devoted to a very well illustrated description of how the data of infrared absorption spectrophotometry are used in the identification of functional groups in organio molecules and in the quantitative analysis of multicomponent systems of or- ganic compounds.

In the longest chapter in the volume (54 pages), James Hillier covers three fields of application of what sbould become a new and general means of analysis: the focused medium velocity electron beam. In particular, Hillier considers the application to the study of heterogeneous solid systems where the individual item to be examined may be submicroscopic in dimensions, ap- proaching that of a few atomic diameters. The beam of electrons when used as a minute probe affords a potentially valuable means of ultramicroandysis. The section an the electron mi- croscope covers the history of its development, a relatively simple introduction to the fundamental theory of electron lenses, the magnetic lens, factors involved in the design and operation of the instrument and in image formation, and an excellent extended dis- cussion of specimen techniques, application, and interpretation. The section on electron diffraction considers the technique as a means of studying analytically single crystals containing as little as 10-18 g. of material. The third section is devoted to electron microanalysis as a qualitative tool in identifying extremely minute and accurately selected areas of a. specimen.

The chapter by F. D. Rassini on the fractionation, analysis and purification of hydrocarbons (26 pages) serves to emphasize the need for pure compounds in determining physical properties and in calibrating so many of our contemporary analytical techniques such as spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry. The meth- ods and apparatus described are those used a t the National Bu- reau of Standards on the projeet directed by the author. The topics covered me determination of purity by measurement of freeing points, determination of individual component8 in mix- tures by freening point measurements, and the use of adsorption and distilllation in fraetionatiou and analysis. The use of re- fractive index as an identifying aid in fractionation is streeaed.

The find chapter (21 pages) by J. A. Hipple is concerned with the use of the mass spectrometer. After a discussion of the fun- damental processes which serve as the basis of the analytical method and of the orablems oeeulittr to s. mass sDectrometer in ~ ~ . analyzing mixturm, the following applicalionr are discuwl: hydrocnrbm annlynis, molewlar dissociation proce.ws due to elcetrun impart, study oi thc mcchnnhm of chemical rcacrions, isotopes, snd the analysis of solids.

0 OUTLINES OF BIOCHEMISTRY

Edited by R. A. Gortner, Professor of Biochemistry, Wealeyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, and W. A. Gortner, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Pineapple Research Institute, Honolulu, T. H. Third edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1949. xiii + 1078 pp. 125 figs. 75 tables. 16 X 23cm. $7.50.

THE new edition of this book is a revision of the text by the late Ross Aiken Gortner, and appears eleven years after the last revi- sion. The pr~sent edition was prepared under the supervision of Professor Gortner's two sons who me well qualified for the task they have undertaken. Moreover, they have received the able assistance of many collesgues and associates who undertook re- sponsibility for revising particular chapters in the fields of their own special interests.

Because of the extensive new developments and information in practically all phases of biochemistry, the authors have found i t necessary to rewrite and expand many of the chapters of the pre- vious edition. New chapters dealing with protein denaturation, carbohydrate metabolism, and the metabolism of lipids have been added. The detailed consideration of colloidd systems, which was

a uniquely characteristic feature of the first two editions, is re- tained. in this newer volume. Particular attention is again di- rected to structural organic chemistry and to organic and phys- cochemical reactions. In chapters dealing with subjects that are rather thoroughly covered in medical biochemistry textbooks, no attempt has been made to cover the field extensively.

One might question the allocation of twenty-five per cent of thr total pages to the subject of colloids. I t is recognized that this is in harmony with the late Professor Gortner's belief that all "the reactions and interactions which we call life take place in a col- loid svstem," and that "much of the 'vital energy' can in the last analyiis be traced back to energies characteristic of surface f l m v and iuterfaces." Nevertheless, it would appear that a more bal- anced book might have been achieved hy a better distribution of space among the various major topic headings, which would have permitted the inclusion of other material. For example, little mention is found of thesubject of nutrit,ion except in a chapter de- voted specifioally to the vitamins.

The retention of material which is solely of historical interest might he questioned in the revision of a modern textbook. For example, detailed description is given of the Hausmann and the VanSlyke methods of group analysisasapplied to protein hydroly: sates, whereas only a few short pamgraphs are used to describp microbiological methods of amino acid analysis. Again, the Ab- derhalden diketopiperasine and the Troensegaard pyrrole hypoth- eses of protein structure are described in detail. Description, and therefore apparently acceptance, of the endocrine roles of the thymus and pineal glands in found in the section dealing with the hormones.

. . as a glycoprotein. On 456,- t& originally claimed wide- soread sienificanoe for transamination is described wit,hont con-

a parathyrotropic and two diabetogenic principles are described among the hormones of the anterior pituitary gland.

This volume remains one of the few broad textbooks in the field of biochemistry, presenting extensive information in plant, a3 well as animal, biochemistry. Its utilization of the data yielded by analytical, organic, and physical chemistry, from which the tools of biochemistry have stemmed, makes this hook very useful as both a text and a sa reference volume for either graduatestudents in biochemistry, or for graduate students in other fields in which the application of biochemistry is desirable and useful.

ABRAHAM WIiITE U ~ ~ v = a s ~ n or C ~ z r r o m z ~ Los ANOELER. CALIIOBNIA

0 HUMOR AND HUMANISM IN CHEMISTRY

John Remd, Professor of Chemisb. Universitv of St. Andrews. Scotland. G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., &don, 1947: xldii + 388 pp: 90 illustrations. 14 X 22.5 em. 21s.

IN THE first 200 pages Professor Read ha3 unearthed a wealth of interesting details on chemistry from Bacon to Baeyer. I t is, like his "Prelude to Chemistry," a worthy monograph. A de- lightful section relates the meteoritic (1602-04) career of the peringranate Scottish alchemist, Alexander Seton of Edinburgh, now sowing the seeds of his profession in Holland, Basel, or Cologne: now transmuting metals before the class of a bewildered professor of philosophy in Hamburg; and at last languishing in a torture-chamber in Dresden and in Cracow. His mantle, and still more important his ounce of elixir,, pass an to the Polish nobleman Sendivogius, whose transmutation extravagances come to the ears of Rudolph I1 at Prague. The appearance of van

FEBRUARY, 1950 113

HeImont and Helvetius with their tales of the Alchemic Messiah complete this cycle of marvelous ~ t u r i r of goldnuking.

Pngea 79-191 examine a great numl,er of early chemistry pub- lications in a detailed and critiml faahion which reflectr much credit on the author, and will win the gratitude of chemists who have no access to these rare volumes. Writings include Seton's "A New Light in Alchemic" (1604); Beguin's "Chymical Be- ginner" (1608); Davidson's "Philosphia Pyrateehnica" (1633- 35); Glauber's works; Le Febure's "A Compleat Body of Chymistry" (English translation, 1664); Glaser's "Compleat Chymist" (English Translation, 1677); and Lemery's "Course of Chymistry" (first English edition, 1677). Eighteenth century chemistry is reflected in Boerhaave's "Elements Chemiae" (1732) and in the lectures, letters. and works of Josevh Black: and the nineteenth eentnri, by extensive quotations kom ~ r c : Mamet's popular "Conversetions in Chemistry'' between Mrs. B., Caroline, and Emily, whioh, with its 160,000 copies of its sixteen American editions, had, by 1853,. qualified for Boak-of- the-Century Club. Finally there is a section on the early history of gases.

Tho remainder of the book is below the author's par. The picture of chemistry in the nineteenth 'century is too sketchy. The section relating the author's personal experiences in the laboratories of Werner at Zurich and of Sir William Pone at Cambridge anrr of l'rp?;inn irlterest only. Some iertioni hould hnw b c w onlirtrtl estlrely: a Iq,1.x rhnpter u~ .\uxtr:lli.,n phnt. "hna nothing to du st th t1.e r a d v ; " n reprint d ; t radio l,t.u.ttlt.xat on explosives is of necessity for popular consumption; and if the thirty-page drama at the end of the book illustrates current English humor, God bless America.

The book is not suitable as collateral reading for undergrad- uat,es, but is a must for students of chemical history.

HUBERT N. ALYEA

0 A NEW DICTIONARY OF CHEMISTRY

Edited by Stephen Miall and L. Mackenzie Miall. Longmana, Green and Co., New York, 1949. Second edition. ix + 589 pp. 15 X 23 cm. $12.

Tnrs second edition has been Compkt~ly revised by the editors so that i t can be a compact reference work for all those interested in the historical and technical development of chemistry and allied sciences. In addition to definitions ot chemical terms thc dictionary contains accounts of chemical substances, chemical operations, drugs, vitamins, and other items of biochemical im- portance, as well as hiographies. The general character of the dictionary has been retained but new material of the last 10 years has been added to include work on atomic energy, a revised d i e cumion of drugs, and many new biographies.

0 INTRODUCTION TO RADIOCHEMISTRY

Gerhart Friedlander, Chemist, Broakhaven National Laboratory, and Joseph W. Kennedy, Professor of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1949. xiii + 412 pp. 22 tables. 48 figs. 15 X 21 om. $5.

THE developments of the last few years have completely changed the importance of the phenomena of radioactivity and their applications for chemists. Anyone who has taught, or considered teaching, a course in radiochemistry or nuclear chem- istry has probably encountered the prohlem of selecting a text- book and will recognize "Introduction to Radiochemistry" as the first postwar textbook on elementary nuclear science for chemists.

The authors have been quite successful with their intention t.o "prepare a textbook for an introductory course in the broad field of radiochemistry, at the graduate or senior undergraduate level, taking into account the degree of previous preparation in physics

ordinarily possmed by chemistry students a t that level." Ac- cording to their definitions, "the broad field of radiochemistry" includes nuclear chemistry (as the "reactions of nuclei and the properties of resulting nuclear species") and tracer chemistry (excluding stable isotopes), hut does not include radiation ehem- istry which "is really closely related to photochemistry."

The chapter headings indicate the relative emphasis on physics and chemistry. They sre: ( I ) Naturally Occurring Radioactive Substances; (11) Atomic Nuclei; (111) Kuclear Reactions; (IV) Sources of Bombarding Particles; (V) Quantitative Treatment of Radioactive Processes; (VI) Types of Radioactive Decay; (VII) Interactions of Rediations with Matter: (VIIII Inrtruments for Radiation Detection and ~easurement; '(Ix) Statistical Cou- siderations in Radioactivity Measurements; (X) Techniques for Measurement and Study of Radiations; (XI) Identification, Con- centration, andIsolation of RadioactiveSpecies: (XII) Chemistry of Low Concentrations and tho Study of new Elements; (XIII) Tracers in Chemical Applications. The Appendix, which occupies about 100 pages, includes an extensive table of all well-established nuclear species and some of their oharacterist,ics.

In conformity with their aim of preparing a textbook, rather than a work of reference, the authors have not attempted to in- clude numerous references. There is a list of references a t the end of each chapter to many standard works and to selected topics in the recent literature whioh should offer a considerable choice of supplementary reading material to even the most ambitious student. "The exercises given a t the end of each chapter are intended as an integral part of the course, and only with them dces the text contain the variety uf specific examples which (the authors) consider necessary for an effective presenta- +:-" ?? "."L..

The typical chemistry btudent will not find himsplf unduly burdened by mathematical complexities or theoretical involve- ments, since much of this material is presented in a descriptive manner.

WILLIAM H. HAMILL Unruesezm os N O T ~ E DAME

No~nn; DAME. INDIANA

AN INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

R. V. V. Nicholls, Associate Professor of Chemistry, MeGiU University, Montreal, Canada. Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Toronto, Canada, 1948. Second edition. x + 226 pp. 21 figs. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $2.50.

THIS is a very practicsl organic chemistry manual, well written and clear. I t o m be highly recommended for some of the very good features it possesses. I t is one of the very few manuals that gives not only pr~perations, hut has the student investigate the properties of the compounds made. Like all books, however; it hasits shortcomings, but these are not serious.

As in the last edition (for review see THIS JOURNAL, 24, 362 (1947), there are two main divisions: Part I, Introduction to Laboratory Technique, and Part 11, Synthetic and Analytical Procedures. Thew are followed by a new addit,ion, Questions for Review, and then an appendix which lists the more commonly used elements and gives the Preparation of Special Reagents and Indicators.

Part I contains an excellent discussion of what the student does and why. Topics covered include extraotion, which is quite well done: washine: drvine: distillation: andfractionation. These ,.. . . Inttw t w u tnpm nm pr sonted in x ntnnrw s hiell piws the aru- d+nt n rlrnr pirrurc < s f thrsr procc~~es. '1'11- author inokv-i a rlir tinrtion b:tw~vn rnulrl& ~lisrill~tion and irnctiurral di~tillatim, but unfortunately u s ~ s the former technique in the experiments almost to the exclusion of the latter. Also taken up are decoloriz- ing, adsorption, orystallisation, precipitation, and sublimation. Even dismantling the apparetus is discussed. I t would help here it studonts were cautioned to wait until the glassware cools some what before taking the apparatus down. Students seem prone