The scope of this hook whieh in divided into two parts is perhaps best indicated by the titles of its chapters: (Part one). Phyriologiral them. istr-Quantitative Anaivsk; Organic Chemistry; Carbohydrates; Proteins; Enzymes; Chemical Camparitian of the Tisoes of the Body; Foods. Their Chemical Compwition and Metabolism. (Part two), Clinical Chemistry--Salivary =nd Gastric Digestion; Intestinal Digestion: Feces; Blood and Cerebrospinal Fiuid; Urine; ~ i i k ; Water Analysis and ao Appendix. I n looking over these titles one fin& no chapter on lipins. This important group of substances is covered by references to fats and some ~ t h e r lipins which are scattered throughout the hook and, on the whole, are brief and inadequate. There are a number of features of this book that stand out, but it is t o be regretted that they are not commendable. The fist is the absence any attempt t o furnish the reader with a bihliography; which naturally discourages collateral reading on the part of the student u d , a t the same time, weaken. the text. Again, one has the uncomfortable feeling that there are too many testr given (many of them antiquated) t h a t are based on the same fvndamentd principle, for example: one fin& nine (9) aurar tests bared on the reduction of salts of heavy metals. Fur. thermme, the selection of the principaltests, in many instances, seems t o have been made without regard far &ciency, for example: on page 59 Trommer's test is mentioned first, while nenedict'a qualitative test is placed third =nd i t . procedure is incorrectly given; on page 163 dimethyl-aminoazo-benzene is suggested as an indicator for qualitatively testing for free hydrochloric wid in the gastric juice, Gunrberg'n test being second choice; an page 165 Uffelmann'~ test for lactic arid in the gestric content. is placed ahead of Kelling's. The text contains a number of definitions, statements, and descriptions that are defective. On page 65 the description of the polariscope and its use in sugar determinations is vague and deficient; the definition of acidosis on page 231 is incomplete and misleading: the statements on pages 228 and 232 regarding hyperglycunia and glycosuria are ambiguous and unexplained; the paragraph on page 190 regarding intestinal parasite is d l too brief and ends with the s t a t e ment that the parasites "may be identified by their appearance and by their eggs." but no pictures of the parasites or diagrams of the are t o be found anywhere in the book. This volume cannot be recommended as a text, either to the wide-awake medical ntudent or the up-to-date practitioner, in its present form. I t takes too much for granted; is too general in its statements, a number of whieh remain unexplained;itILts,in abundance, testswhiehhave fallen into the discard years ago and fails t o aeeurately describe praedures for other tests;
it is defective-io matter and finaliy no bibliography worthwhile. H. B o u ~W n m Inorganic Quantitative Analysis. H ~ a o ~A.o PALES, Pn.D. Century Co., New York. 1925. xii 493 pp. 13 X 20 cm. $3.50. When I undertook the review of this book I anticipated that the reading of it might he hclpful t o me hut I never thought that any quantitative chemistry would prove really interesting t o one so far from that part of the science as I am: The very first chapter caught my attention;
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I went the mare convinced I became that this is the best hook of its kind that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Anyone with some experience and a certain aptitude can carry out quantitative determination. provided everything goes right but there are not ra many who find pleasure in such a mechanical approach. Here we have presented toun very minutely the manipulative requirements of each type of determination together witha lucid description of theunderlying theoretical considerations. An soon as we approach the subject from sueh a point of view it ceases to he mechanical and beomes a very interesting chapter in applied chemistry. I t is unnecesSary t o choose articular chapters of Dr. Pales' book to emphasize the t m f h of there statements, all one has t o do is to compare the treatment of sueh a subject as oxidation and reduction methods with the treatment usually found in quantitative texts. , The book in not primitive in any r a r e and i t goes so far as t o require the guidance of a good teacher t o carry the average student of quaotitstive chemistry through it., However, i t ought t o prove an admirable ten. I n addition to thin advantage it seems to me that it is easily the best small text for the chemist who uses quantitative chemistry after he has left the university. It will rave the practicing chemist from the pitfalls which he ir so apt t o encounter when he goes from the class-room t o i s method*. If the professional application of h will do so becavse it underlines the theory 30 clearly that he will he able t o think himself out of the difficulties instead of guessing. The book is so good that it seems hardly fair to point out aome of Lhe very minor shortcomings which have impressed themselves upon the reader. First of all I should place that carelessness in wording whieh seems t o beioherent in the writings of most of us today. Here this cardermess
is iron." The book is good.
We need more like it. R. E. Rdsa
