of this series, this hook should he on the shelves of every chemical reference lihrary.
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY. VOLUME I1
F. F. Blicke and C. M.Suter, Editors-inChief. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New 311 pp. 1 5 figs. York, 1956. vi Many tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 510.
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THE preface t o the series, of whirh this i s the second volume, speaks of the desire of rhcmists nnd phxrmacologiets
for a puhliration "that would provide comprehensive and systematic Rummaries of available data on t h e biological properties of substances alreedy studied." I t goes on to state t h a t i t is "a chief objective of "Medicinal Chemistry" t o include in each chapter referpnces t o all the compounds that have been teated for a part.icular t,ype of pharmacologiral activity." The difficulty of presenting in book form up-to-date reviews is shown by t h e closing dates of the literature wrveys of the various chapters. Chspter 1 by Arthur Stoll is based on s lecture presented in 1950, and a. supplement by T. L. Johnson contains references up int,o 1958. Chapter 2 has been brought up t o date by appendixes and supplementary reference8 through September of 1953. Chapter 3 refers to no literature beyond 1953. Chapter 4 states that i t is complete through June of 1052. I n the
light of these dat,es i t uould seem that some other vehicle for tho pohlicntion of such reviews might be more appropriate. Chapter 1, Some Chemical Aspects of the Cardiac Glycosides, by Stall, v-ith its supplement by Johnson, is almost entirely chemical in its treatment of the cardiac glycosides. The hiologienl aspect,s of the subject are not treated a t length nor critically. Johnson's supplement has a useful table of glycosides reported from 1949-52. Chapter 2, Synthetic Estrogens, hy 3. A. Hogg and 3. Korman, is a w r y extensive treatment of the subject. There is 8. good presentation of t,he history aud status of the field as of the literature closing date. I n addition, there is a detailed discussion of tho hiological ride of these agents and a critiral direussion of mazy methods. The one h u n d r d twenty pages of tables and thirtj. pages of bibliography represent comprehensive coverage of the field. Useful featuws of the bibliography are a. compendium of earlier reviews on the sobject and B patent index. Chapter 3, Analgesics, Arylpiperidine Derivatives, by C. M. Suter, is further coverage of this large field that was hegun in Volume I of the series. It, is difficultt o ascertain the extent of coverage of the subject. The biological assay procedures receive scanty attention and the possible modes of action of t,he con,pounds, none. The chapter may serve as a brief background survey in this part of the field. Chapter 4, 8-Haloethylaminc B d ~ w ergicBlocking Agents: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationships, by G . E. Ullyot and J . F. Keru-in, is an extensive treatment of the subject tht.ough the middle of 1952. The histarinl introdurtion is valuable because of its present,ation of the harkground of the discovely of these materials. There is extensive dircussian of the biological activity and chemical reactions of these compounds. The tahles are well organized and useful. This volume is uneven in the treatment of the various subjects h* t h e different authors. The editors have not seen fit t o insist on the inclusion of firm indications of what literaturr was coveld. I n the tu-o chapter8 t h a t are parts of a larger field, t h e may in whirh the ruhjerts treated fit into the field have not h e m clearly delineated. The volume is useful as a reference work because of the detailed p r ~ s m t a t i u n s of Chapters 2 and 4. JACKSON P. ENGLISH R E ~ E * R "D H l v i s ~ o r .Aaen,c*a cr*x*>i,o COMPANY
P m n L R ~ v z n NEW , YORZ
PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
lames English, Jr, and Harold G. Cassidy, both Associate Professors of Chemistry, Yale University. Second edition. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New 469 pp. 25 figs. York, 1956. xiii 3 1 tahles. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 56.50.
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CONTINWINO in t h e excellent tradition of the first, this second edition should warrant the consideration of all teachws (Conlinued on page A174) JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
