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In the opinion of this reviewer Rojansky's text fills in an admirable manner a need that has existed for a long time in the literature of quantum mechanics. The whole book shows evidence of a careful selection and arrangement of material as well as choice of explanatory method. While making few demands on the previous mathematical training of the student, i t still manages to cover most of the material necessary for a good foundation in the basic principles of quantum mechanics. The numerous problems are easy but not trivial, and seem t o be well chosen for their explanatory character. In view of the absence of detailed applications the book does not furnish a basis for a comprehensive course of study in any given field of quantum mechanics, and should be used in conjunction with some book or set of lectures covering the field in which the student may be particularly interested. For one desirous of attaining a thorough grounding in quantum mechanics and its applications to physicochemical problems, the reviewer can give no better advice than t o study Rojansky for general theory and Pauling and Wilson (McGran-Hill Book Co., 1935) for applications, and especially t o work the problems i n both books. With this foundation he can forge into the broad fields of quantum mechanics on his own with a sure footing. E . L. HILL. E i n e Darslellung der negativen Katalyse i n Losungen. By K. WEBER. Die chemische Analyse, herausgegeben von W.Bottger, Band 50. 25 x 16 cm.; xii 191 pp. Stuttgart: F. Enke, 1938. 'Price: unbound, 16.60 RM.; hound, 18.20 RM. The subject of reaction inhibition has recently attracted much interest, and a book on the field by K . C. Bailey (in English) appeared a short time ago. The present volume deals with the subject largely from the physicochemical point of view and is a useful supplement t o the literature. In confining the field t o solutions the author has had t o omit much material of interest, so that the book cannot claim to cover the whole field of anticatalytic phenomena. The main sections are on the quenching of fluorescence, and on retardation in photochemical, autoxidation and thermal reactions, and general inhibition reactions. In each section the more important typical reactions are considered, and on the whole a good balance of space is maintained. In some cases more information would have been welcome, but in the limitations of the apace available to him the author has been able t o put before the reader the important lines of research in his field. His attempt t o treat the various phenomena from a general standpoint is of considerable interest, and will undoubtedly lead t o clarification of ideas in this field. The significance of the phenomena in analytical chemistry is pointed out in each case. Important technical aspects, such as the oxidation of oils, the perishing of rubber, and the combustion of hydrocarbons, are taken into consideration. The book gives a very compact and useful survey of the field and can be recommended. J. R. PARTINGTON. Inhibitorzuirkungen.
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Die Darstellung der Metalle im Laboralorium. By H. FUNK. Enke's Bibliothek fur Chemie und Technik unter Berucksichtigung der Volkswirtschaft, herausgegeben von L. Vanino, Band 25. 22 x 14 cm.; viii 183 pp. Stuttgart: F. Enke, 1938. Pricc: unbound, 8.00 RM.; bound, 9.80 Rbl. The object of the present book is to collect in a handy form the modern information on the preparation of the metals in a state of purity on the laboratory scale. I t is very practical, and the experimental details are suffiricnt t o enable a chemist familiar with ordinary laboratory operations t o carry out the processes described. In rwcarch in physics and physical chemistry i t is often necessary t o have available
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pure specimens of metals, including those not very well known and not purchasable on the market, and the chemist t o whom the preparation of these materials is entrusted will be very grateful for such a book as this. Full references to the literature are given, and, in addition t o the preparative details, the book gives much useful information on the properties and uses of the metals. It includes the rarer metals such a s beryllium, cesium, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, the platinum metals, thallium, vanadium, etc. The apparatus is described in sufficient detail, with dimensions, etc. In addition to its professed purpose, the book may be strongly recommended t o teachers of inorganic chemistry, since i t gives much information on the metals that cannot easily be found otherwise. I t is a book that should be in every chemical and physical laboratory. J. R. PARTINGTON. Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie. 8 Auflage.
Herausgcgeben von der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft. System-Nummer 63: Ruthenium. 26 x 18 cm.; pp. xx vi 124. Berlin: Verlag Chemie, 1938. Price: 16.50 RM. A wrapper on this part of the Handbuch announces that the treatment of the platinum metals is now in hand and t h a t the volumes of the section of the work dealing with the platinum metals will appear very shortly. This is a very welcome statement, since the information on these important metals has not so far been presented in a form t h a t is sufficiently critical to meet modern requirements, and the recent important technical developments are still without an adequate review in sufficient detail. The present monograph, which is complete in itself, deals with ruthenium. The history, occurrence, and extraction of the clement are deferred for the forthcoming volume on platinum, and the present section deals with the physical and chemical properties of the element and its compounds. In all sections an attempt is made to differentiate between compounds the existence of which is established without doubt and those which are still without adequate characterization. Thus, for example, it is stated that the oxides RuOz and Ru04, the chlorides RuClz, RuCls, and RuCL, and the carbonyls R u ~ ( C 0 ) sand Ru(CO)&are the only ones definitely established, and that the only definite sulfide is RuSz. All the other, doubtful, compounds are fully treated. The information inrludes the complex compounds. Modern work is fully taken into account. The monograph is an important and thoroughly satisfactory contribution to the literature of inorganic chemistry. J. R. PARTINGTON.
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Grnelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie. 8 Auflage.
Herausgegeben von der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft. System-Nummer 27: Magnesium. Teil B. Lieferung 2. 26 x 18 em.; pp. 201-330. Berlin: Verlag Chemie, 1938. Price: 15.75 RM. Compounds of magnesium with sulfur, selenium, tellurium, boron, and carbon, including oxy salts, fall for treatment in this section. Magnesium sulfate and i t s hydrates come in f o r very detailed treatment, in seventy-five pages. The section on the boride, RIgSBz, is of interest in relation t o boron hydrides, which are now the subject of physicochemical investigation. Magnesium carbonate and the basic carbonates, which are of technical and pharmaceutical interest, receive full treatment. A critical survey of the physical, physicochemical, and chemical properties of the substances is very complete and authoritative. This section is a notable rontribution to chemical literature, and fully maintains the high standard that characterizes the whole handbook. J. R . PARTINGTON.
