for medical and heginning students in biochemistry. The previous editions of this b w k always have stood among the best texts of biochemistry, and the present enlarged and revised edition remains one of the best of its type. The more important changes from previous editions are the treatments of enzymes and oxidation-reduction in more detail and in separate chapters. The author has presented a very broad and difficult subject in a loeical. - . dear. and sufficientlv fundamental manner from the modern point of view to drrerve the thanks of the beginning and more advanced students of medicine anrl bioloyy. The presentation of the nlamerour specific and rapidly changing problems of mammalian biochemistry as related to medicine is a tremendous undertaking, but i t is well done in this text. The author has a happy faculty of presenting sufficient of the controversial material to satisfy the critical specialist and yet to organize the biochemical knowledge in a clear-cut style t o enable the student to learn the more fundamental facts. F. C. KOCH
OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CEEMISTRY.Meye" LABORATORY MANUAL Bodansky, Director of Laboratories, John Sealy Hospital, Galveston, and Professor of Pathological Chemistry, University of Texas, and Marion Fay, Professor of Physiological Chemistry, Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Fourth Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York City, 1938. v 295 pp. 9 figs. 15 X 23 cm.,$2.00.
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This text covers the usual material oresented in manuals of hiochemi.itry for medical students. Thcrc is nothing unusuallg originnl in the hook; in fact, much of the material i. prrimred in experiments taken wholly or in part from other texts. Some of the instructions are not given in sufficient detail or with proper precision. The principles involved in the quantitative methods are not given and the shortcomings of the various methods are not discussed. The newer and more reliable methods for blood glucose and calcium are not given and the student is not given sufficient warning as to which is the better or the best method when a number of methods are described. F. C. KOCH ~
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solete or of doubtful value, for example, the separation of the copper and arsenic division by means of a mixture of ammonium sulfide and disulfide, the separation of antimony from tin by precipitating antimony sulfide with hydrogen sulfide in a hot acid solution, the confirmation of zinc sulfide precipitate by ignition with cobalt nitrate. Even though the reference is given there is doubt as to the existence of AsCls and as mentioned on page 45. The precipitation of some magnesium with the alkaline earth group is not mentioned, nor are large amounts of ammonium salts removed before the precipitation of this group. I n the test for ammonium ion i t is generally considered unsafe for students to heat the mixture, especially in a test-tube. Before taking up the analysis of the anions preliminary experiments showing the characteristic reactions of each and their grouping are carried out by the student. A large number of acids are considered, more than are usually studied in an elementary course. Again, an excellent list of questions and exercises follow each group analysis. While the procedures are ample for the analysis of a simple substance and certain combinations are provided for, i t is problematical if a mixture of several anions could be successfully analyzed. With the coming of age of organic reagents in inorganic analvsis it is matifvin~ . .. to see a oart of the book devoted to this sulvect. n'hilc the nuthor mly sogycsrr organtc rcagmt.; as * u p plrmentary tests for the catimi, thc rzwtions >re given and fully discussed. The part on the analysis by dry methods, though brief, is useful whether or not one is interested in field work. The appendix has useful tables and information though i t is strange to see percentage ionization of strong electrolytes less than 100. The book is printed well and is quite free of typographical MOTS.
LEOLEAIUIULN TBB C ~ T Y COLLBOB OP NBW Y O R ~ N E W Y O R K crrv
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FOR PHARMACY STUDENTS.Book I. Non-metals. Filemon Tanchoco, A.B., Ph.C., LL.B., Professor of Chemistry, Manila College of Pharmacy. Magsimpan TABUNIYBRSITYOF CHZCAGO Press, Manila, P. I., 1938. 318 pp. 14 X 20 em. $2.00. CHICAGO. ILLINO~S The book seems to be intended for use as a tent following an elementary course in chemistry. Page references are given to a A LABORATORY MANUALOF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS.John H. PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, apparently that written by the author and Yoc, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, University of Virginia. reviewed in Tnrs JOURNAL, 14, 349 (1937), although i t is not so John Wiley & Sons. Inc.. New York City, 1938. ix f 219 pp. stated. The subjects considered include Hydrogen and Oxygen. 7 figs. 14.5 X 23 cm. $2.50. Water, Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide, The Halogens, Halogen The hook is, as the author states in his preface, strictly a Acids. Sulfur, Oxides and Oxyacids of Sulfur, Nitrogen and the Laboratory manual intended to accompany his CBMICALPRINCI- Atmosphere, Ammonia and Similar Compounds, Oxides and Oxyacids of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Its Compounds, Arsenic, PLES. However, as there are no page references to the latter, Antimony and Bismuth, Oxides and Oxyacids of Arsenic, Antitheory may be presented through other texts. The analysis of cations in the presence of phosphates as well as the treatment mony and Bismuth, Boron and Its Compounds, Carbon and I t s Compounds, and Silicon and Its Compounds. of insoluble silicates are included. Also a rather large number of Purely descriptive, the book gives synonyms (Latin. English. anions are considered in their analysis. The book thus lends itself to easy adaptation for short or long courses in qualitative and Spanish), properties, preparations, and uses of the elements analysis. From the modern point of view it would be much better and compounds, together with their history and occurrence, in some cases. The advantage of the text t o students of pharmacy if all the eouations for ionic reactions aooeared in ionic form. .. Thc proctdurcs for the analysis of the cations arc of the usual lies in the medicinal uses given for some of the compounds. As type, up-to-datr in must rases a n d supplemented by rxcellent an inorganic text it is unusual in that very little theory and no problems are included; in fact, it does not contain a table of notes. A good frature of the book is the list of questions and exercises following each group procedure. Not only does this require atomic weights. There are no figures or sketches. "The author does not pretend that his work is up to date in the student to know the methods of analysis, but also an understanding of the reactions involved. Before presenting the pro- presentation: on the contrary, there are reasons to believe i t cedures for the analysis of the cations some preliminary experi- antiquated on this score." Spelling is bad in many instances; ments are given to illustrate the grouping of the metals. How- sentence structure and word usage are not always acceptable. ever, there are no experiments t o show the characteristic proper- Printing and binding are very poor. Some corrections and adties and reactions of the cations and their compounds which are ditions have apparently been made by hand with India ink, deutilized in the methods of analysis. This is a serious objection, tracting from the appearance of the book. A number of inas the student must turn to a book for this knowledge instead of accuracies are present. learning it in the laboratory. Some of the reactions used in the schemes of analysis are open to objection as being somewhat ob-
