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eome omissions and oversights. For instance, one will wonder that uranium is not mentioned among the several ahsorbenta for nitrogen; that such a pessimistic opinion is given of the automatic operation of Toepler pumps; thst the simple designs for stopcock pressure clamps were overlooked. But these things can be excused in view of the excellent job the authors have done in preparing a laboratory guide and help for the beginner in research and the more experienced operator dike. NORRIS W. R l K E S T R A W 07 O C E A V O O R A P H ~ S C R ~ P PINBTITVTION S L* JOLL*. C*LLFORXI*
INORGANIC QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
Chemisw,
W. Griffin, professor vamar Second edition. The Blakiston Co.. Inc.. New York. 1954. xvi 417 pp. 4 8 figs. 24 tables. 15 X 2 3 cm. $4.75.
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MOST of the first edition has been reprinted in the second. -4dditions include a chapter on Separations, new experiments in iodometry (iodine in aqueous solution, tetraethyl lead in gasoline, and dissolved oxygen in water) and in calorimetry (using photoelectric calorimeters and suectro~hotometers). a ereatlv. expsnded chapter on ~olorime&y,snd a numher of new problems. Mast of the points mentioned in a. review of the first edition (J. CAEM.EDUC.,27, 171 (1950)) have been well considered by the author. The expended discussion of the effect of ohlaride on the iron-permsnganate titration is excellent, and the use of intermediate unstable oxidation states of manganese is a welcome sight. Some controversial points remain unchanged and this reviewer would call attention t o the following items. Considering the scope of the text, an undue amount of space (4 pages) is devoted to the titration of a weak acid with s weak base. On osee 112., the calculation of o H for an acid salt. NaHA. is appnrmrly for n genrrxl c:we. A m d l y t h h"s ~ f < r exrlmaic acal nrr usrd hut not iJmtifinl xs SUCII, :tnd it is 1101 clear ~ I . V L I I I . T the approximations are valid for a generel oase or not. The discussion could easily be made far a general case, resulting in greater clarity and a hetter appreciation of the use and validity of approximations. On page 137 it is stated thatomore and more sensitive indioators are needed" if the titrations of very weak acids and polybasic acids m e to he feasible. The sensitivity of an indicator is not a well defined term in this use. The equivalent weight of an oxidizing or reducing agent is defined on page 173 in terms of the number of electrons lost or gained. A short discussion would be welcome a t this point concerning the evaluation of equivalent weight for substances which do not directly enter into the titration reaction, e. g., calcium by permanganste titration and lead by the dichromate method. The argument concerning the equivalent weight of iodate on page 233 is difficult to follow. The sign conventions for calcuhtion of e. m. f. used in the first edition have been retained and do not conform t o the widely accepted Lewis conventions. I t is my opinion that the discussion of the conventions and correlsries could be better integrated so thst they would seem more logical and easier to remember. The influence of pH and oamplexing on the effective e. m. f. of redox reagents has n i t been emphasized. The discussion of organic reagents is much too brief (4 pages, ineludine two com~letedeterminations). and does not indicate the true natire of cheiates (the structure nickel dimethylglyoxime is given as a simple salt on page 309). It is regrettable that in the field of colorimetry, already confused with symbology, the author has adopted another set of symbols, rather than those proposed by the Joint Committee on Nomenclature in Applied Spectroscopy (Anal. Chern., 24, 1349 (1952)). The terminology in this section is loose and poorly defined; e. g., on page 360 transmittancy, T,and absorbancy, A, are defined in terms of each other but not related to measurable oumtities. There is no discussion of anoarent deviations from , . Beer's law. It is implied that slrertrophorometrrs give "nearly n~onorlrromaticlight," whereas thr one described artunllg pqzs~s B band width of 35 mM. ~~~~
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of
This reviewer wishes to make a plea for textbooks that can he used in the order in which they are written. By the fourth Iahoratory period most students using this book would be doing acidimetry, by which time they have presumably covered general information, accuracy, and related topics including the treatment of errors. calibration. and seoarstions. I t is ohvious thst either mit thst a gravimetric experiment with very simple principles and easily attained accuracy, such as the gravimetric chloride, is the best place to begin. Furthermore, this provides an easier route to equilibrium considerations via the relativelv. s i m.~ l esoluhilitv products. Much of the above discussion concerns matters of opinion and taste, and many instructors will undoubtedly find this text extremely useful and teachable. I t retains the conversational style of the first edition and contains a wealth of problems, some with answers, and a wide selection f, stnndasd experiments, ROBERT L. PECSOK
u,,,.,.,,,or c RNIA LO^ A N ~ B L Ec~A , zlron~,~
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THE VITAMINS: CHEMISTRY, PHYSIOI OGY, PATHOLOGY. VOLUME I1
Edited by W. H. Sebrell, Jr., National Institutes of Health, and R. S.Harris, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Academic Presc, Inc., New Yark, 1954. xiii 766 pp. Many figs. and tables. 16 X 2 4 om. $16.50.
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THE 29 mtholg contributing to this volume have all been producers in the field of vitamin research. Some of them have been pre-eminent in recent work. The subjects covered in Volume I1 are: Choline, Vitamin D group, Essential fatty acids, Inositols, Vitamin K group, Niacin, and Pantothenic acid. Among the sections that will he welcomed by a large numher of biochemists are those dealing with the complex and puzzling stereoisomerism of the inositals, by H. A. Lardy and E. Chargaff. Equally useful is F. Lipman's treatment of the relation of pantothenic acid t o coenzyme A and the functioning of the latter. Lipman, the leading pioneer in studies of this fundamentally important aspect of metabolism, gives an authoritative and comprehensive contribution. While these and some other sections are notably timely and useful, all parts of the volume are of high quality. The editor8 have been careful, as they mere in the preparation of Volume I of this work, to maintain relative uniformity throughout in style of writing, system of exposition, and choice of material. Footnotes on every page provide a rich mine of bibliographic references. Anyone who expects to have a library well supplied with vitamin literature nil1 find this volume %must. PHILIP H. MITCHELL
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VEGETABLE FATS AND OILS
E. W. Eckey, E. W. Eckey Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio. American Chemical Society Monograph Series No. 123. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1954. i r 836 pp, Many figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $16.50.
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A COMPREHENSIVE treatise on a technical field of knowledge calls for s broad and authoritative treatment of subieet matter
every detail.
