Recent Books Chemistry and Recent Progress i n Medicine. J U L ~ V SS T ~ S G G ~ T T Z h. e Williams & Wilkins Compnny. Baltimore, Maryland, 1926, viii 62 pp. 22.3 X 15.2 rm. Cloth 11.50. Paper 3.75.
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This volume comprises t h e second aerier of T h e Charles E. Dohme Memmial Lectures on t h e Relation of Chemistry t o t h e Progrers of Medicine a t T h e Johns Hopkins University. T h e author states in the first paragraph t h a t "a lifelong interest in t h e great possibilities of chemistry i n the service of medicine" prompted his acceptance of the invitation t o deliver these lectures. T h e book shows t h e applications t o the problems of medicine, of advances in t h e realm of chemistry, a n d plead. for greater co6peration between t h e two sdeneea. It outlines two broad fields in which chemirtry contributes t o medicine; one dealine with material" having t o do with t h e care and prcvmtion of disease, the other with functional or dynamic ride of chemical action. I t treats: rpeeific drug.; active principles of t h e gland.: the vitamins; antitorins a n d vaccine.; oridation; fundamental electronic procerser. T h e lecturer are of a very high order. Seldom has the reviewer seen so much fundamental material so admirably presented in the compasn of hardly more than an hour's reading. This book is a distinct contribution t o the literature of scientific medicine a n d should be in the hand. of t h e members of the profesdon and might well be required as collateral reading f o r senior medical students. W o n m ~ uF. R u m
of Qualitative Chemical Analysis. FRANKAUSTIN GOOCY.Ph.D. a n d Prrr.m EMBURYB n o w n r ~ - c , Ph.D., Assistant Pro-
Outliner
fessor of Chemistry in Yale Univerdfy Fifth edition, revised, with appendix. John wirey a n d Sona, Inc., New York, 1925. viii 208 pages. One colored section chart. 13.2 X 20.3 cm. $1.75 net.
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AS stated in the oreface. t h e authors have prepnred this text t o meet the needs of large clarres in qualitative analysis, of those preparing for work i n related scientific fields, a n d of t h e specialist in exact analysis. T h e authors have chosen a happy medium which such a manifold purpose necessarily requires, namely, of arranging much of t h e matter-of~factmaterial in tabular form for ready reference. I n 3 0 doing, however, they have placed less empharis upon t h e important principles underlying qualitative analysis, diepming of the theory briefly in about twelve
pages of text, a n d rather stressing experimental details. T h e reviewer ia inclined t o question t h e value ot tabulating t h e characteristic reactions of t h e ions, chiefly because thLy d o not compel t h e student t o reason things out for himself. Such a scheme, moreover, is likely to leave t h e impression with t h e student t h a t each salt or ion ii Ih\r ,unto it.r11: i l would w e m prderalllr to -tres3 W?h "3.,s.;l,~,ri"". bf f ? m s &? ,he ?I?c,.". mntlve for.* n r x , the io~h#h~lmtv 1-d.lr. ..nd the periodic system, and t o teach the student t o reaon out each ease by s proeer. d elimination. T h e charts. however, d o posses much valuable information, a n d if included as an appendix would be helpful, especially t o t h e commercial analyst. T h e "experimental reviews of important re. actions" include many of the ordinary reactions with which t h e student is already familiar. T h e experience of the reviewer has heen t h a t such preliminary experiments are time-con%uming, and detract greatly from t h e interest of t h e subject. It seems desirable t o start the student immediately on a group separation where h e will in due time become acquainted with t h e reactions of each ion. T h e review questionn a t t h e end of the book are chiefly memory questions. Very few balanced equations have been given; t h e authors have wisely left them for t h e student to work out himself or t o find in reference books. T h e chapter on organic analysis, including acids. alcohols, carbohydrates. and alkaloids, appears out of place in a work of this kind. Few students taking qualitative analysis have had organic chemistry. and the time i. generally 3 0 ~ h o r t t h a t one scarcely succeed. i n covering t h e inorganic acid radiealr thoroughly. They might be included t o advantage in a reference work on orx8"ic ana1yria. Some inconristencie* appear in t h e writing of formulac. Where ions or radicals are referred to. as on pp. 14-15, rather than the specific element tested for, they should be written with their respective positive or nesative charges. T h e obsolete emoirical formala a~oears t o be .. preferred by the authors over the ionic: on page SO, hoth forms, F ~ O I H Iand Fe(0H)a are employed! T o wtite i a r o u s ferrieyanide. Ferr'erCUNIZ, would seem t o complicate needlessly the writing of formulas for t h e student, who sees in this formllla no relation betwee0 t h e valences of t h e radicals comgoring the compound. On page 160, a "double salt of xAp-Cl.yNH8" i s referred to, but this compound doer not in any sense eonform t o the accepted definition of a double salt.
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