deals with bromine exchange with alkyl bromides. Table XVI (12-29) is sixtyfive pages in length and summarizes the reactions and references an deuterium exchange with acids, aloohols, aldehydes and ketones, aliphatic halides, alkanes, alkynes, a e n e s , amides, amino acids, m m a t i c hydrocarbons, carbohydrates, esters, ethers, heterocyclic compounds, nitro compounds, onium compounds, ~henols, and miscellaneous compounds. A similar table, XVIII, exists for exchange reactions of oxygen-1% Thus the book is useful in much mare than a synthetic sense, and is a source of a really tremendous amount of information for any scientist aotivel~engaged in research with isotopes. The index is of compounds only, and indicates where in Pa& 1and 2 each iis to be found. Although '"references to preparations without details are given in itdies," the reviewer had dificulty in distinguishing the italicized type from ordinary type. Murray and Williams in this volume, as well as in Part l, have made suoh a fine contribution to isotopic chemistry, however, that for the foregoing peccadillos, and far the lack of an author index, they can be easily forgiven.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee
discussions. While a number of particuImly well studied analyses are described in detail, most of the analytical applications are only outlined or indicated by a reference. In the case of popular analytical procedures, e.g., the analysis of oxygen, a great many different electrodes and methods are described without any critical evaluation so that the clinician, physiologist, or pharmacologist would have to know polarography well in order to make a suitable choice of method. The book, therefore, is of most value to the specialist in polarography who will find it a complete and extensively annotated bibliography of polaragraphic papers through 1954 in the fields indicated in the title. Recause many of these have appeared in the Czech language, an English version is particularly welcome. Dr. Wawsonek's translation is excellent. Also the print, paper, and binding of the book are of the usual high standard of the publishers. It is surprising, therefore, that they did not make the contents of the book more readily usable. In order to find a given referenceindicated in the tent only by number, not by n a m e o n e has to leaf page by page to the end of the particular chapter. Proper page headings would be of help in suoh a search, but in this book they are "Polarography" on the left side and one of the sectional titles on the right side. OTTOH. M~~LLER State Uniriersity qf New York Sgmeuse
Polarography in Medicine, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy
M . Brezina and P. Zuman, Polarographic Institute of the Czechoslovakian Academy of Science, Prague. Revised English ed. Interscience Publishers, 862 pp. Inc., New York, 1958. xviii 318 figs. 24 tables. 16.5 X 23.5 cm. $19.50
+
This book first appeared in 1952 in the Czech language. I t was revised and expanded to cover the literature through 1954 when it was published in a German edition in 1956. The present translation into English contains most of the material found in the German edition hut does not include the introductory chapter an the principles of polarography and the author index as well as same of the formulas and polaragrams. The English version is nevertheless 62 pages longer because in it textual headines are used and the refer-
print as footnotes on eaeh page. The major sections of the book, Determination of Inorganic Compounds (172 pp.), Determination of Organic Compounds (400 pp.), Proteins (100 pp.), Enzymes (18 pp.), and Polsrographic Maxima. (22 pp.) are followed by Tsblee of Important Buffers and Hdf-Wave PotentiaIs (60 pp.) and a Bihliography of books and review articles on polarography. An index of Materials and Subject Index complete the book. The present version of the book is intended to be used in conjunction with other texts on polarography since it contaim neither general instruction about the method and apparatus nor any theoretical
veritable Beilstein of sulfur chemistry, with d l of the advantages and some of the disadvantages which thet implies. There is little critical discussion of theoretical questions or of reaction mechanisms, although there are extensive correlations of physical properties, especially of the mercaptans. There is a very complete coverage of the chemical literature, including patents, with extensive lists of compounds and their physical properties, and with leading references to the biological aotivity of compounds, where it has been examined. The book has over 4000 references (the whole series hits 20,000) and will undoubtedlv be the startine.. . ooint for anv literature survey on bivalent sulfur compounds. I t will be of great value to research workers in the field, both in industrial and university laboratories. I t would be improper to end with emphasizing the magnitude of the task which Professor Reid has undertaken and finished. There can have been few contributions to the ohemical literature of this scope and monumental character, carried through virtually singlehanded, and eompleted, by a scholar of Reid's years. Tbe reviewer hopes that he will feel repaid for his unselfish labors by the knowledge that his volumes will be of great and continuing value in the future exploration of the field of sulfur chemietry. D. S. TARBELL University of Rochestw Rochester, N m York
Chemistry for Medical Technologists
Organic Chemistry of Bivalent Sulfur. Volume 1
E. Emmet Rdd, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University. Chemical Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1958. 539 pp. 15 X 22 om. $20 The study of organic sulfur compounds has become an increasingly active field of renearoh in recent years. Part of this activity is due to the importance of sulfur compounds in biochemistry, chemotherapy and polymerization processes, and part is due to interest in fundamental problems of reaction mechanism and structure, which abound in the field. The appearance of the present volume (the first of a. series of five) by the distinwished pioneer in the Beld, Professor E. Emmet Reid, is therefore an event of importance to chemista in many areas. The series is limited to the ohemistry of hivalent sulfur rompounds, and the first volume covers the memaptans, substituted merceptans and mercaptan acids. The section on mercaptsns contains an extensive discussion of the removal of meroaptans from petroleum. The reactions of mercsptans which lead to sulfides and other classes of compounds to be covered in later volumes me not discussed. The chapter on negative derivatives of merctlptans, however, deals with sulfenic acid derivatives, and various inorganic ester derivatives of mereaptans, inoludin~ thiophosphoric esters. The coverage of these classes i~ encyclopedic, m d the series of volumes will be a
Charles E . Sdvwd, Director of Research, The Horizon Laboratories, Glendale, Arizona. The C. V. Mosby Go., St. Louis, Mo., 1958. 465 pp. 17.5 X 25.5 cm. $10.75. Approximately 80 per cent of this book consists of detailed methods of analysis that were developed and reported in large part prior to 1940, with the selections being governed by the results of surveys the author has used to determine the most popular methods of urine and blood analysis. Thus most. of the important developments in determinations and methods sinoe approximately 1940 are either absent or presented too briefly to be of substantial value. The book includes pregnancy tests, function tests for liver and kidney, and conventional methods for the andysis of spinal fluid, and gastric and duodenal contents. A very limited amount of space is devoted to the analysis of feces and milk. Approximately 100 pages of the sections an analytical methods (326 pages) are taken direotlv from the laborstorv manuals of four difierent companies that market photoeleotric oolorimeters and other items used in medical technology. Over one half of this material is from one of the four companies. In general the methods are clear and in detail. There are numerous drawings and other illustrative material thet contribute to the clarity of the presentation. Also, ample directions are given far the preparation of reagents and calibration proce
Volume 36, '~urnber8, August 1959
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