JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION
502 rather useful in aliphatic and aromatic organic chemistry and application of these concepts to heterocyclic chemistry is welcome and should he encouraged. The author has pointed out in his preface, however, that his interpretations are for the most part speculative and ". . .are given with the aim of stimulatinginquiry into the theoretical aspects of imidazole chemistry." The text is abundantly illustrated with equations usiug structurd formulas. These formulasin most cases have been orientated on the page in such a manner that it is relatively simple to relate particular atoms of the starting products with the corresponding atoms of the final product. The typography of the structural formulas is excellent. Several groups of naturally occurring substmces of considerable physiological or pharmacologicalimporti~ncecontain an imidazole or reduced imidaeole ring as part of their structure. One major group, the purines, does not come within the scope of this volume, and purines are mentioned only when these are the result of a. reaction of a substituted imidazole. Discussion of the growth factor, hiotin, has been excluded, apparently far 8. similar reason. Several napes have been devoted to desthiobiotin, which contains only a substituted imidazolidone ring and is an important degradation product of biotin. Members of another group, the "Jaborandi" alkaloids present in various Pilocarpus species, contain an imidaeole nucleus and might properly be included in this volume. For unstate3 reasons, however, the author has chosen to exclude this group. The author has presented rather lengthy discussions totaling 47 pages concerning the important amino acid, histidine, and the related substance, histamine. These discussions are informative and well written hut inclusion of such details as isolation, quantitative estimation, and distribution of histidine and histamine in nature seems out of place in a volume urimarilv devoted otherwise to the or~anic - chemistry of imidseoles. Rention 2 of +,hismonoerauh consists of 95 Dazes and is entitled
The volume now under review deals with the application of dislocation theory to the explanation of phenomena of crystal growth, especially the spiral growth patterns which have been observed on the surfaces of many crystals during the last few years. Mauy h e photographs of such patterns are included, also good descriptions of the various techniques which have been found usesurfaces. ful in studvine . - crvstal . Thir l , m k van he w~~nmmendrrl r n a l l intrrwtrrl in ti.? prrsrut atstusof rhr.~>rynnrlrxt,n.lnlr!arin tlisticld. MAURICE L. HUGGINS E*BTY*NKOD*KCOXP*NY ROCHE~TER, N . , " YORK
THE STORY OF SPICES John W. Parry. Chemical Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1953. vii 208 pp. 14.5 X 22 cm. $4.50.
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SPICEShave been in use by man for so long that a history of the spice trade is almost a history of the wodd. Unfortunately, Mr. Parry has tried to make it one; his work would have been better had it been more selective. Nevertheless, he has written a fascinating story of the uses of ~pices(Pliny recommended the use of the smell of garlic to drive away serpents and scorpions), the superstitions concerning them, and the effect of the search for spices and new routes to the spice lands on world history. There is an excellent appendix describing many of the herbs and spices; best of all iis the oollection of ancient prescriptions usiug spices to cure everything from heartburn to epilepsy. Scnr~paIN~TITUTION OP O C E A N O ~ R A P X T
G. G. SHOR
CONCERNING THE NATURE OF THINGS neriad. This section seems of dubious value to anv but those
Abstracts. The 27-page index contains page references only to Section 1 and the general headings of Section 2. Source references in Section 1 have been collected a t the end of each chapter and are listed in the order of mention within the chapters. This hibliographical arrangedent seems no less convenient then the other common method of la cine the references a t the bottom of the . first page on which they are mentioned and a somewhat neater page appearance has resulted. This volume fulfills in every respect what should be the twofold aim of such a monograph: to inform and to stimulate further research. The author has made an important and valuable coutributian to the chemistry of heterocyclic compouuds and to the general field of organic chemistry. ~
Sir William Bragg, Fullerian Professor, Royal Institute, London, England. Reissue. Dover Publications, New York, 1954. xi 232 pp. 32 plates. 57 figs. 13.5 X 20.5 cm. Cloth, $2.75. Paper, 51.25.
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T m s reprint of lectures given thirty years ago is still full of apt suggestions on the nature of atoms, gases, liquids, and solids. Mauy demonstrations and vivld teachtng analogies are included, particularly for the physicist or physical science survey teacher. J. A. CAMPBELL
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EARL C. SPAETH UITlvnnsZTY 08 CONNBCTICUT STORRB. CONNECTICOF
GRAPHICS IN ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
A. S. Levenn, Professor of Engineering Design, University of California, Berkeley, California. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1954. viii 696 pp. 17.5 X 25 em. $7.
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. .- .
CRYSTAL GROWTH AND DISLOCATIONS
Ajit Ram Verma, Lecturer in Physics, University of Delhi; I.C.I. Research Fellow, Royal Holloway College, University of London. Aoademic Press Inc., New York, 1953. xii 182 pp. 76 figs. 14 X 22 cm. $5.
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A BOOK ou "Dislocations in Crvstds." bv W. T. Read. Jr.. was EDOC.,31,389 (1954)). recently reviewed in these pages 0.
CAM.
The first section puts more emphasis on orthogonal projection than is usual in a beginning text in engineering drafting. Section three presents elementary mathematics through calculus by graphical methods. Some of the topics covered are functional scales, empirical equations, nomography, graphic statics, grayhical calculus (both differentiation and integration), and gmaphm in research (particularly prosthetic devices). An amnle au~endixaives tabulated data, manhical wmbols. and drafting r&m pra&e.
