OCTOBER, 1951
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laws to Chapter I11 and the discussion of oxygen and hydrogen to Chapter IV. In order to integrate with qualitative analysis during the latter part of the year, all theory is considered in the first two-thirds of tho book. followed hv several chmters on metals and then four chanters ihout the most common kinds of salts. The last ehmters concern material omitted by many teachers-nuclear reaotions and a brief discussion of some typical organic reactions. A controversial feature of the text is the very early description of alkali metals and halogens in Chapter VII, as typical examples of metals, nonmetals, and their reactions, although the principles of axidittion-reduction are not developed until Chapter XVII, almost 2M)psges later. A section st tho back of the book preceding the appendix is devoted to a considerable number of extra pmblems, no answers being given. The author has made a clear and understandable presentation of material. Included are a reasonable number of appropriate illustrations, each clearly referred to in the text. The book is printed in clear typc on good quality paper and is attractively hound. FRED C. FREYTAG
U N ~ V ~ ~0.~ WYOMINO ZTY L A ~ A X W~OMINO ~E,
extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter. This will g~eatlyenhance the value of the volume for the research worker. I t is inevitable that some duplication will occur when a number of authors collaborate, and here one finds the Tiselius apparatus twice described in detail. The format of the book is emellent and it seems to have been carefully proofread to eliminate typographical errors. The only such noted by this reviewer were on pages 243,500, and 893. One has in this volume a valuable summary of our prescnt knowledge of proteins and amino acids, including an immense amount of information on physical and chemical properties a s well as methodology and funotion. It should he of great value to serious students and workers in the vast field of protein chcmistry. F I. CAJORI
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AIDS TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Stanley F. Smith. Third edition, revised by Ian Leslie, Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, St. Thomad Hospital Medical School, London. Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, London, 1948. viii 127 pp. 10.5 X 16.3 em. $1.50.
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0
AMINO ACIDS AND PROTEINS
Edited by David M. Greenbers, Professor of Bioehemistry, University of California, Berkeley. Charles C. Thomas, 950 pp. 79 figs. 76 tables. Springfield, Illinois, 1951. ix 16.5 X 26.5 cm. $15.
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THEeditor and 18 contributors have produced in this volume an up-to-date and detailed treatise on many phases of the chemistry and biochemistry of the proteins and their constituent amino acids. The book is a successor to the well-known volume on the same subject edited by C. L. A. Schmidt in 1938. However, the present hook devotes more attention to the biochemical aspects of amino mid8 and proteins a8 well as recording the advances in proteinchemistry during the last 13years. The early part consists of chapters concerned with the properties of amino acids (E. E. Howe), methods for their determination (Oleott) and preparation (Archer), including the synthesis of labeled amino acids (Reid and Tolbert). A chapter on the isalsr tion of amino acids is contributed by Dunn and Rockland. Consideration of proteins follows in which classification, purification, and isolation (Fevold), molecular size (Lundgren and Ward),
quist) and biochemicil ~pplications(Greenberg) of proteins and amino heids and their metabolism (Tarver). This part includes a chapter on the chemistry of antibodies hy Campbell and Lanni. I t is surprising that no chapter is devoted to nucleoprotcins. With the exception of a brief discussion of viruses, nucleoproteins
T m s booklet can be considered a, very abbreviated counterpart of the outline or college series found in most college book stores. It was written to give biochemistry students a review of organic compounds and basio reactions. In 35 chapters all common series are reviewed. Briefly the organization is: (a) a few words ahout the class of compounds, ( b ) some methods of preparation, (c) a few properties and/or reactions. The lsst chapter consistine of five Dazes. is devoted to "nract.ieal tests" rivine two to Folsix q;alitativtte%ifor seven elements and 26 com&n&. lowing the index is a four unpaged list of hooks in tho "Students' Aids Series." Throughout structural formulas artre stressed. In spite of some fairly good sections, the briefness of this hook casts douht on its usefulness. In the authors' attempt "to give just theinformation that is necessary to the understanding of biochemistry," much esrentid information is eliminated. Catalysts are practically never mentioned, and many reactions, a s written, are not correct because qualifying statements are missing. We learn that iodobenzene cannot be made directly from iodine and benzene. This'is, of course, correct if concentrated nitric acid is omitted, hut y e also learn that nitric acid and benzene give nitrobenzene--eoncentrated sulfuric acid is not mentioned. The r e viewer found himself taking issue with statement after statement on page after page. Hence, he feels that since the disadvantages of this book so outweigh the good paints it cannot be rcconlmended even as a brush-up text. ARTHUR FURST
. PRINCIPLES OF PHASE EQUILIBRIA volume. It is felt that dhev should be discussed in a se~arate 0 treatise." F. E. W. Wetmore, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University The extent to which detail of analytical or preparatory Pro- f,, T O ~ O and ~~O D. , I. LeRoy, Professor of Chemistry, University cedures are included varies considerably from author to author. of ~ ~ M ~ ~G ~ ~ ~~ . co., H ~~ I ] ~~~N~~ t . , york, ~ 1951.. + The use of the Tiselius electrophoresis apparatus, the ultracen 200 pp, 124 figs, 13 tables. 16 x 24 cm, $3.50. trifuge and sedimentation analysis are fully described. Stepwise THIS book is designed as a text for a graduate or advanoed directions are given for the erystallimtion of a number of proteins. The techniques for acetylstion of amino groups, methylation of undergraduate course in phase-rule studies. The actual systems csrboxyl groups, iodination of phenolic groups also are described discussed are well chosen to illustrate the point8 in question, and t the minimum necessary for in detail. Manv readers would like to see the same detail with the number of svstems is k e ~ to No ref&nces to the original literature are respect to chromatographic methods that have received so much illustrative purp&s. attention in recent years in the analysis and separation of amino given. t to the refemnces. InAlthough a thermodynamic derivation of the phase rule and a acids. But for such detail he m u ~ turn deed one of tho outstanding foaturcs of this book is thc very brief discussion of free-energy-eomposition curves are givcn in
5%
appendixes the approach throughout the body of the text is empirical. I t is shown a t the start that the phase rule can he deduced from laboratory expelienee alone; that is, that in every oase the sum of the number of phases and degrees of freedom is two more than the number of components, whore pressure and temperature are the only variables, other than composition, which affecttheequilibrium. After a few of the usual one-component systems are discussed briefly, t,wo-component, systems are introduced with a. detailed malysia of the system sodium sulfate-water. Thia system is well suited to such a discussion, since a g r a t variety of phenomena can be illustmted by this one pair of ~ubstances. Following this appear. discussions of various bwo-component systems, separated into systems where the oomposition of only one phase can vary (ouly one solution), and systm~ainvolving two phases of variable composition (two solutions). Here, and throughout the book, considerable attention is paid to the relative amounts of different. phases, as determined by the "proportioning rule!' Three-eomponent systems arc introduced by a brief discussion of n?presentstian with triangular diagrams-equilateral, isosceles right,-angled, and irregular-followed hy a detailed discussion of t,he system sodium sulfate-magnesium sulfate-water. Although moat of this is devoted to isothermal isohario conditions, a brief intmductiou is givcn to the problem of indicating variable temperature. Various additional types of phenomena encountered in thr, isothermal isobaric study of thlee-component systems are next presented, including a very brief treatment of solid solut i o n ~ . The authors have been successful in illustrating a wide variety of types of phenomena wit,h a comparatively small number of svstems. .\l:iny of tlw plruomrns i l l ~ r s t n r ~up d to thia puint ill the tmuk nligllt have Iwrn rn
