RECENT BOOKS LEHRBUCEDER OROANISCREN CHEMI~.Wolfgang Langenbeck. in which fieldsuch rapid progress is now being made--and to show Verlagsbuchhandlung Theodor Steinkopff, Dresden, Germany, the close relationship between the two types. Nevertheless, this 1938. xv 537 pp. 15.5 X 23 cm. 15 RM. volume remains primarily a textbook of natural radioactivity. The first half of this book is devoted t o an elementary introduc- An equally thorough treatment of artificial radioactivity would tion t o organic chemistry, designed for students meeting the sub- require another volume. The chapter on "Application of the Radio-elements as Indicators in Physical, Chemical, and Bioject for the first time. The presentation seems rather brief, hut, except as noted in the following paragraph, it includes most of the logical Investigations," which has been entirely rewritten and topics usually taken up in beginning texts. I n a few cases one enlarged, is of special interest and use t o scientists who are not might question the selection of material. Thus, it seems strange (and do not wish to be) specialists in radioactivity. This is by no means a "popular" book, yet it is clearly written that the military uses of phosgene and mustard gas should each receive as many pages as are allotted t o the general properties of and well illustrated. No preliminary knowledge is required, the Grignard reagent. It is also rather disconcerting, t o say the other than what any advanced student in chemistry or physics least, that the only oximes mentioned in connection with the should have. A few well-chosen literature references are inBeckmann rearrangement are syn- and anti-benzaldoxime. On cluded a t the end of each chapter for those who wish to pursue the whole, however, the reviewer feels that the author has suc- the subject further. The translator and the publishers, like the authors, are t o be ceeded in writing a satisfactory introduction to the subject. The second half of the bwk consists of rather detailed discus- commended for their work. sions of a number of special topics which are entirely omitted L. HUGGINS MAURICE KODAK RBS~ARCA L*B"B*TOB,HS from the first half. The subjects considered can be listed most RocHEsrsa. Nnw vona readily by giving thenames of the differentchapters. These are. in order, Carbohydrates, Proteins, Isoprene Derivatives. Dyes, Alkaloids and Other Nitrogen-Containing Nitural Products, and Catalysis in Organic Chemistry. Except in the chapter on INTRODUCTION TO ATOMICPHYSICS. Henry Semat, Ph.D., Asdyes, considerable emphasis is laid throughout an the biological sistant Professor of Physics, The City College of the College of aspects. The chapter on isoprene derivatives, for example, inthe City of New York. Farrar and Rinehart, Inc.. New York dudes not only the temenes but also the sex hormones, bile acids, City, 1939. xv f 360 pp. 147 figs. 14 X 21 cm. $3.50. and sterols, and the chapter on catalysis is largely concerned with IONS, ELECTRONS AND IONIZINGRADIATIONS. James Amold the enzymes and other o r p n i c catalysts of similar action. The Crowther, Sc.D., F. Inst. P., Professor of Physics in the Univitamins, hormones, and auxins are taken up in some detail, and versity of Reading. Seventh Edition. Longmans. Green and their structures and syntheses, where available, are given. (The Co., New York City, 1939. rii 348 pp. 117 figs. 14 r61e of nicotinic a d d in the vitamin B2 complex, however, is apX 21 cm. $4.00. parently too recent a discovery t o be mentioned.) This second These two textbooks cover, t o a considerable extent, the same half of the book is interestingly written and, like the first, promaterial a t about the same level of difficulty. I t is therefore convides a satisfactory introduction to the various fields covered. G. W. WHELAND venient to consider them together. Although they both are excellent in their way, neither one was intended as a text for a chem'ma UNWBRS~TY OF CBICACU CILICACO, ILLINI>IS istry course and neither is suitable for this purpose. However, each treats in some detail many topics of great importance to physical chemistry-topics which are usually omitted or comLABORATORY RECORD BOOKOF QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS.Carl J. pressed and treated supetdcially in physical chemistry courses. Engelder. Professor of Analytical Chemistry, University of Either book could he very useful as a reference for those students (may their tribe increase!) who are not satisfied with mere sumPittsburgh. SecondEdition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New marizing statements and who wantto learn more about the backYork City. 1938. 96 pp. 15 X 23 cm. 81.00. ground of our present ideas on elementary particles, atomic struc8,1011-12) Thiseditioudiffersfromthe first (cf. THISJOURNAL, ture, electromagnetic radiation. radioactivity, and so forth. mainly in placing the records for volumetric work before those The book by Semat is distinguished by the inclusion of a good, for gravimetric. Some extra pages for calculations seem t o have though condensed, treatment of atomic spectra in about a hunbeen added, and the form for gravimetric records modified by dred pages. There is a chapter on waves and particles which providing for four weighings for the ignited product, instead of contains a very brief introduction to the ideas of quantum methree. chanics. The fact that Crowther's work is now in its seventh ediJ. H. REEDY tion is evidence of its widespread popularity. I t is strong in its UNIVRPSITY 0s ILLINOlS treatment of electrical conduction in gases and of discharge tube URBAN&ILL~NOZS phenomena. Both books offer readable and up-to-date accounts of what is known about the nucleus and nuclear chanees. - Here AM^^^^^ I L \ ~ ~ ~ G~,,,.~~ ~ ~ H ~ ~ ~copenhagen, ~ ~, . , ~ and ~ Semat's ~ hook , is the more complete; there is even a discussion of the only ago. F, A , panelk, ~ ~ by ~~b~~~ ~ W, Lawson, ~ ~ process of l nuclear ~fission discovered ~ ~ a few months d Sheffield. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 114 E. J. ROSENBAUM Fifth Avenue, New Pork City, 1938. xvi 306 pp. 54 T"e UN1veRsmyoP CnlcAoo CIICADG ILLINOIS figs. 16 X 24 cm. $5.50. The first edition of this work, published in German in 1923 and in English in 1926, was an admirable textbook, dealing with the OF CHEMICAL I\IIICROSCOPY, Volume 1. E. M. Chuwhole subject of nalural radioactivity. Although minor changes HANDBOOK and additions have been made throughout, the present ~ ~ ~ l mot i and ~ hC. W. Mason. Cornell University. Second Edition. John Wiley and Sons. Inc.. New York City, 1938. xvi edition di5ers from the first chiefly in the inclusion of on "Positrons and Neutrons" and "The Transmutation of the Ele478pp. 165 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $4.50. ments," two pages on "The Cyclotron" and an excellent table of During the last few years the microscope has been accepted as "Artificially Produced Radioactive Isotopes of the Elements." an instrument for chemical research and analysis. I t has taken These serve t o introduce the subject of artificial radioactivityits place along with the spectrograph, the galvanometer, and the
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chrmical halance as a measuring roul of precision. Wirh it thc chcmiit mn determine the optical constant5 of rhc marcrials with which he drals as well as the utlmr more commonly srudietl physical properties. The appearance of the second edition of Volume 1of the HANDBOOK 011 CHEMICAL.MICROSCOPY by Professors Chamat and Mason is, therefore, very timely. During the seven years that have elapsed since the first appearance of this work in the twovolume form, much progress has been made. Happily the second edition is not simply a reprinting. While i t has essentially the same organization as the first edition, i t differs in many details. New material, especially many new references appear on almost every page. New data have been added also to the tables. A few figures were added, a few were dropped. The section on particle size determination of the first edition has been expanded to a full chapter in the new edition. Important additions have also been made in the section dealing with the cryptocrystalline aggregates, oriented aggregates, and so forth (such as textile fibers, nitrocellulose, starch). Minor changes appear in the sections on illumination, photomicrographs, preparation technic and crystals. Condensation or omission of less essential materials has made the new volume more useful and yet no larger than the old. The reviewer is doubtful whether the section on crystal morphology is yet adequate t o provide the background needed for the understanding of the optical and crystallographic data found in the literature, and in the newer handbooks and tables. The section on crystal optics is still rather brief, though perhaps the careful execution of all experiments described and supplementary lectures will make this part satisfactory. The authors and publishers are to be thanked for providing us with a new edition of this most useful work. F.J. PETIIJOKN
tions, and some glaring errors of fundamental viewpoint (such as the statement that oxalic acid contains carbon in two different states of valence) have been corrected, hut thereremainsa certain tendency toward arbitrary rules which are not always fully explained. One finds an eight-step procedure for balancing oxidation-reduction equations, without any mention of the highly explanatory electron, and it seems that only an unusual student would remember such an involved procedure without some such simple key t o its meaning. The word "valence" is used without any attempt a t definition: thus bromine in the hromate ion is given a "valence" of +5, without any warning that a purely arbitrary convention is being employed. I n the chapter on potentiometric methods, the authors employ the European conventions regarding the signs of electrode potentials, without reference to the alternative system of Lewis and Randall. I n view of the widespread use of the latter conventions in more advanced instruction, it would have been valuable to describe both systems, and to show that the consistent use of either leads to correct results. On the whole, however, the third edition of this book represents a considerable improvement over the second, and it should be looked upon as a very useful aid t o teachers of quantitative analysis. ANTONB. BURG TYBUNrVaPSLTY OF C l r C & 0 0 C","rn". II.LIN"IS
THECHEMISTRY OF THE CARBON COMPOUNDS. Victor yon Rickter. Edited by the late Professor Richard Anschiite. Translated from Vol. 1111 of the XI1 German edition (compiled by Prof. A . Butenandt. Dr. M . Lipp, Dr. I
