XEW BOOKS
1C35
Physikaliache Chemie in Medizin und Biologie (Physical Chemistry in Medicine and Biology). By W. BLADERCROEN. 476 pp. Basel, Switzerland: Wepf et Cie Verlag, 1946. Price: 25 francs (Swiss). This book aims at presenting a cross section of a science which is called by Schade and Habler “physico-chemical medicine.” The author has succeeded in presenting concisely the fundamentals of physical chemistry with their significance in biology (including physiology). The chapters are written in an original way, and the book is not a combination of two independent sections on physical chemistry and biophysics and biochemistry brought together in one cover. In the chapters dealing with the fundamentals the author considers thc interests of and stimulates his biological readers by emphasizing the biological significance and applications of many phenomena. I t is quite refreshing and enlightening t o find in the first chapter on atoms, ions, and molecules a section devoted t o the origin of the radiation of the sun. The following review of titles of chapters shows the wide scope of the book: Atoms, Ions, and Molecules; Thermodynamic Considerations; Aqueous Solutions; Acid-Base Equilibria; Interface Phenomena; Colloids; Structure of the Living Substance; Colloid-chemical Phenomena in the Organism; Important Osmotic Phenomena; Oxidation-Reduction Potential; Problems of Metabolism and Biological Oxidation. The author states in tbe preface that he has emphasized especially those topics which are of interest t o the student in medicine and the practising physician. The medical doctors and also the medical students in Switzerland must have a background in physical chemistry and even in mathematics which is far more thorough than that of their colleagues in this country. Neither the average American doctor nor the American student of medicine can digest the contents of this excellent book. However, it should be of great value t o the student of and scholar in biology, and more specifically biochemistry and biophysics. The book demonstrates clearly that physical chemistry is an integral part of biology and physiology. The text is quite modern, although certain treatments are outdated. The Sernst derivation of the electrode potential should be replaced by a more modern one; the glass electrode suffers a stepmotherly treatment; a few words might have been said of modern theories of acids and bases; the Langmuir adsorption isotherm certainly should havz been discussed with that of Freundlich (page 204). From a chemical view the assumption of the occurrence of the reaction HGOB NaCl+ KaHCOI HC1 is awkward, even though such a reaction apparently may take place under certain conditions in the body. The book is eminently suitable as a text in advanced biochemistry and biophysics, and it should stimulate further development of biology on a physicochemical basis. I . M. KOLTHOFF.
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Organic Analytical Heugenls. Vol. I. By FRAKKJ. WELCHIH. 442 pp. Kew York: D. Van Nostrand, Inc., 1947. Price: $8.00. As stated in the preface, the main purpose of the book is to assemble in one place a description of all organic compounds used in the analysis of inorganic substances, and t o present a discussion of the methods employing these reagents. Three more volumes will follow t o complete the work. The first five chapters (50 pages) are of a general nature; they deal with the electronic theory of valence, coordination compounds, chelate compounds, types of chelate rings, and the effect of structure on solubility. The chapter on coordination compounds is based on the Werner theory, extended by that of Sidgwick. No reference is made t o Pauling’s work and his well-known book. As far as credit t o analytical chemists is concerned, the author has carefully avoided any reference to Feigl’s books. Feigl’s pioneer theoretical and practical work is still the basis of further developments in the use of organic reagents in inorganic analysis. The omission is deplorable, not only because Feigl deserves universal recognition, but also because in research dealing with organic reagents in inorganic analysis, Feigl’s theoretical work is a stimulating guide. It also appears that infrequently the author copies his statements from available texts without acknowledgment.
