APRIL, 1955
223
~ i b l yfor prosp~et,ive spentroscopists! who use spectroscopic instruments and techniques. I t must be admitted that most of these principles are here, hut there is considerable doubt that they can be understood properly by these readers, unless additional texts are consulted. About a quarter of the hook (Chapter 111, 34 pages) is given over to highly condensed mathematical derivations of some quantum mechanical results. But little is done toward application of these resulta in the descriptive parts which follow. Indeed, the aut,hor states that he has attempted to make these parts indcpendent of the mathematical derivations. It may he asked, then, why this material is included. There are many texts on quantum mechanics which correlate experimental results with theory very successfully, m d these should not he too diffioult for the nonspecialist. I t is true that such hooks are longer, and brevity has heen evidently one of the principal aims of the author. I n my opinion this is the principal fault of the hook; i t is too brief t o br of any value. The importance of molecular symmetry in the understanding of spectra is only briefly indicated. I t might have been better to have enlawed the discussion of this todc, and omitted some of t,he detailsuf the ounntum mechanics di the oarticle in the box. The book i~best. i6 it8 brief discussion oi m&owave and of infrared spectra, and i t is weakest in the treatment of Raman and electronic spect,m. I do not believe that a reader can obtain a correct idea of the Raman effect and of the mechanism of fluorescence from this book. Instead he may easily oht,ain a confused or an incorrert impression of these phenomena. A. B. F. DUNCAN
Umvms~ryOF ROCHEBTER ROCHESTER, NEW YORE
INDUSTRIAL FERMENTATIONS. VOLUME I Edited hy Leland A. Underkofler, Professor of Chemistry, Iowa State college, and Richard I. Hickey, Research Microbiological Chemist, Commercial Solvents Corporation. Chemical Publish 565 pp. 72 figs. 55 ing Co., Inc., New York, 1954. ix tables. 14.5 X 22 om. 512.
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THIS~ymposiumrepresents the effortsof 19 qualified coutributors. The resulting volume is authoritative, concise, and largely up to date. As is to be expected, a work of this type is marked by variations in style and treatment that do not make i o maximum ~ convenience t o the reader, although this is a minor defect that is overshadowed by the exrellent caveraee - given . to present-d%y fermentation technology. The book should enjoy maximum utility as a. reference work. I n this category and as a text it will serve admirably to complement the well known "Industrial Microbiology" of Prescott and Dunn. Subject matter is divided into four sections that stress commercial processes of actual or potential importance. Part one is devoted t o alcoholic fermentations and includes chapters on the fermentations of &rain, molasses, nulfite waste liquor, and wood waste; a chapter an the hrewing industry; one on wine production; snd another a n glycerol production. Part two i~ restricted t o yeast production, including commercial yeast and food and feed yeast. A single chapter on the hutanol-acetone fermentations constit.utes the third section of the hook. The six ohapters of part four are given to the fermentative production of the following acids: lactic, citric, gluconic, fumnric, itaconir, and acetic. Great detail is effectively condensed and presented. A comprehensive subject index is included, and the trend toward literature condensations is emohasised hv a.biblioeraohv of nearlv 1200
of the format. WILLIAM D. ROSENFELD CAbmonm* R c s ~ ~ n cCoa~onmroa n LA HABRA,CAl~ORNIA
THE DETERMINATION OF CRYSTAL STRUCTURES
H.L i.~ s o .nManchester . Colleoe of Technolaav. and W. Cochmn.
University of ~ a m b r i d & ~ d k by d Sir Ldwrence ~ r & . ~ h ; 345 pp. 325 figs. MacmiUan Company, New Yo&, 1953. ix 328 tables. 15 X 22.5 cm. 58.
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THEfield of X-ray crystallography has developed so extensively during recent years that i t is now a most powerful method for determining molecular configurations and dimensions. Substances as complex as penicillin and strychnine have yielded to this form of analysis, often without prior knowledge of their chemical structures. Improved techniques and methods of refinement now make i t possible to determine bond lengths in the simpler molecules to within a limit of error of 0.01 A. However, until now there has been available no textbook which could serve as a comprehensive introduction to this field. The publication of this volume is therefore most welcome. The suthon, hoth well known crystallographers, have attempted to cover the methods of crystal-structure determination from the staee a t which a set of structure amolitudes has been ob-
space-group determination, calculation of structure factors, and summation of Fourier series. The remaining two-thirds of the volume deals with the mare difficult problems of the derivation of atomic coordinates, their refinement, and with methods of assessing the accuracy of the completed struoture determination. "Trial and error" methods, the Patterson function, Fourier methods, and the so-called direct methods are each dealt with in separate chapters, accompanied by extensive references to publications. Each chapter contains a number of examples taken from the literature t o illustrate the methods described. The format is excellent, and there appear to he few printing errors. It will m o u d both to the beginner as a lucid introduction, and to the kperienced cry~tallllo~apher as a comprehensive review of crystal-structure determination. ALBBIOET& WILSOXLTD. R ~ R M I ~ . Q K ENGLAND *W
DAVID R. DAVIES
COLORIMETRIC METHODS OF ANALYSIS VOLUME 4 Foster Dee SneIl and Cornelia T. Snell. Third edition. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York. 1954. vii f 676 pp. 22 figs. 18 tables. .16 X 23.5 cm. 512.50.
THISbook completes the third edition of the m,ell known work of the authors. I t includes some turbidimetrie and nephelametric methods and contains all remaining organic and biological material that could not be incorporated in the third volume because of space limitationn. The sixteen chapters cover nitrites and nitro compounds; aliphatic amines and amides; amino acids; proteins; aromatic primary, secondary, and tertiary amines; azo compounds, nitrogen-containing cycles, ete.; urea and related compounds; compounds with inorganic radicals; sterols; hormones; alkaloids; enaymes; antibiotics; hemoglobin and related compounds; natural pigments; and color of liquids. "As in the second edition the aim of this edition has been eompleteness but no many new methods appear in this field that much condensation is necessary." The authors have, however, "attempted to include, or refer to, the methods that have been published since the second edition, up to the time of publication. This has meant deleting many of the older references. Alternative methods for a particular substance are still given, because a. method suitable for one purpose mtLy not he suitable for another." Explanatory mstter has of necessity been held to a minimum, hut since the introductory paragraph explains the
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
224
BIWER ZUR QUALITATIVEN MIKROANALYSE principle and limitations of each method, the reader should be 0 able to decide which one of the alternative methods will be best ANORGANISCHER STOFFE applicable to his needa. Usually substances that interfere are mentioned in the introductory paragraph and then methods for Wilhelm Geilmona, Professor, lohannes-Gutenberg UniversitZt' their removal are described under "sample." The of M ~ zGermany. , Verlag Chemie, GMBH, Weinheim, Germany, method often depends not only on the proper treatment of the 1954. 120 PP. Many illustrations. 16.5 X 23.5 cm. DM anm n l ~t,o t,h~W , t O U I ~int,e~fwe urit,h t,he color -r-. .. remove .... suhst,~nces .-~...~~..-.~.~ ..-. ~ . 20.80, development, but a h on the preparation of a solution with a Bilder means piotures; "guessing German" plus occasional use suitable concentration of the constituent to be determined; hence of a dictionary is enough far effeotivc use of this book, in which the preparation of sample is given in considerable detail. The half the space is given t o 393 uniformly excellent photomicroprecision, accuracy, time required for color development, and graphs. There is no text other than a few lines for each illuswave length are usually stated. The text includes 18 tables of tration, stating the method of carrying out the reaction, sensiuseful data and numerous references to the original literature, tivity, and interferences. The arrangement is by analytical the latter being conveniently listed a t the bottom of the pages. groups rather than by the periodic table, with indexing by ions Author and subject indexes eanelude the baok. Paper, printing, and by reagents that indicates the preferred tests of the neveral and binding are good and no serious typographical errors were ones ~ &en. ~- ~ ~ ~- . noted. No general analytical scheme is included; the work is not pre2, and 3, Presents an sented ss a manual of mieroscopieal analysis, hut as a supplement Volume 4, together nith Volumes extensive and up-to-date treatment of colorimetric methods of to methods, ~t covers a ,idc of 8,Ecific analysis. This set will be useful to anyone who needs to make ~ ~ ~ t a l - p r e c i p i t a t reactions, ion such as might be used for "yes chemical analyses, espeoially when small quantities, even trace eonfirmatow ksbfor inorganic anions and . . . . amounts, are to be determmed. This book is stronel; recommendedvto analvsts who are alrexdv familiar with m i e r o ~ h p i c squalitative ~ reactions, and to oth& JOHN H. YOE who might want to employ them occasionally. For the latter, the reviewer would urge what all chemical microscopists knowthe value of trying out a test an knows, with some variations of concentrations and admixture of possible associated ions, rather than leaning on pictures alone when tackling unknowns. .4s the author emphasizes, a photograph represente an arbitrary 0 CHEMOTHERAPY OF INFECTIONS selection of what may be typical but cannot be all inclusive. H. 0. 1. Collier, Chief Pharmacdogist, W e n and Hansburys It should serve s s a refresher of the visual memory of one's direct Ltd. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Yark, 1954. mi 248 pp. observations, in the making of which valuable experience was 58 figs. 21 tables. 14.5 X 19 cm. $4. gained, rather than for the recognition of "total strangers." ~
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., .,
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INTHIS compaot little volume Dr. Collier has given us an slmost full picture of many aspects of chemotherapy. After setting forth in clear and simple language the fundamental principles of the field, he discusses the importance of selective toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents for the pathogenic microbes and the absorption, distribution, and oxcretion of the drugr. Then follows a chapter on the mechanism of action of the drugs, and one on mierobinl resistance. Thie chapter is among the hrst descriptions ot this complex subject which the reviewer has men. The concept of antibiotics, their history, and methods of discovery are discussed next. Special chapters are devoted to penicillin and streptomycin, and the preparation, unit measurements, mode of action, and uses of these compounds are desoribed well. The other antibiotics are relegated to subordinate places, and more recent ones such as erythromycin are not mentioned. The last six chapters deal with synthetic drugs, from Ehrlich's arsenicals t o the latest useful antimalarials, sntituberculous agents, and drugs for various tropied infections. These chapters are arranged according to the diseases in question and present drugs of all pert,inent structures under these hendings. The descriptions of the biology of the pathogens are especially good, while underlying chemical relations are a t least painted out. There is a subject and author index, and 278 references euide the reader to the most i m ~ o r t a n articles t on chemotherapy. Few authors have the ability to write for the various levels of education and specialization of the readers to whom this hook can he recommended. Dr. Collier starts so simply to break the reader into his subject matter, and raises the niveau of the mat-erial so slowly, that college students, graduate, or medical students, as well as their teachers will find it enjoyable. Physicians and pharmacists will find a wealth of background material for the drugs they use in their practice, and the educated layman will readily understand the development and theories of a subject which has freed this and coming generations from some of the most dreaded scourges of mankind. l L F R E D BURGER OI V L R ~ I N I A UN~VEES~TY CHARLOTTEBYI~.LE. VIRGINIA
C W. MASON
U~rvensmv CORNELL ITHACA. NEWYORR
FLUORESCENCE OF SOLUTIONS
E. I. Bowen, Fellow of University College, University of Odord, and Fronk Wokes, Director of Ovaltine Research Laboratories, England. Longmans, Green & Co., Inc., New York. 1953. vii 91 pp. 34 figs. 11 tables. 14.5 X 22 cm. $4.75.
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TEE combining of the theoretical background of Bonen with the practical experience in fluorescence analysis of the conutho~. has produced an exellent, book. The iuthors state that, they have written to provide an introduction to fluorescence for thp practical worker and the student. This has resulted in a text that is easy to read and is a t the same time thoroughly instructive. A critical condensation of theore~icalmeterial has been presented in such n manner as to stimulate interest in theory as d l as to allow an understanding of the more practical aspects of fluoremence. The book is wellreferenced, but it is not the review type that requires too much discrimination for the beginner in the field. The suhjeat matter progresses from a consideration of thewetieal funditmenta.1~~touching on wave mechanics, to instrumental factors affecting fluoreeeence and the theory and kinetics of quenching. Chapters on detecting devices, fluorimeters, t,he mcmurement of fluorescenoe, and fluorimetric assays make up the seoond half of the book. The treatment of these teehnologioal aspects of fluorescence is quite thorough and includes a discussion of the instruments and methods currently in use. The reader is made aware of the many pitfalls awaiting the inexperienred worker and is shown how to avoid them. With the aid of this baok, one totally new to the field should be able to approach fluorimetrie analyticd procedures with n degree of confidence. CHARLES E. WHITE A N D DONALD C. FREEMAN. JR. U ~ r v r n s m ror M A n r ~ * x o C O L L E ~PARE. E MAAILAND
