Recent Books The Mechanism of Homogeneous Organic Reactions from the PhysicalOWEN Chemical Standpoint. FXANCIS RICE. Associate Professor of Chemistry in the Johns Hopkins University. First edition. The Chemical Catalog Company, Inc., 419 Fourth Avenue, a t 29th Street, New York, U. S. A,, 1928. v 211 pp. 12 figures and 26 tahles. 15 X 22.5 cm. $5.00.
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This book is No. 39 in the American Chemical Society Monograph Series. It is a comprehensive treatment of the reaction kinetics of homogeneous organic reactions. I t s purpose can best be stated in the words of the author: "Reaction kinetics provide us with a powerful weapon for investigating the mechanism of organic reactions and has been freely used for this purpose in nearly all investigations concerning the mechanism of organic reactions. It, therefore, appeared desirable t o make a systematic study of homogeneous organic reactions from this point of view, so that the information available would be collected and presented in a more accessihle form than scattered through the literature." The author first takes up the theory of reaction velocity, discussing the derivation of formulas t o express the rates of reaction in simultaneous, opposing, consecutive, and side reactions. He then reviews methods of analysis, errors in measurement, and effect of temperature. Chapter I1 is a section devoted t o the discussion of addition compounds. Their existence, measurement, and dependence upon the chemical constitution of the components is first taken up, followed by a discussion of their relation t o ionization and catalytic activity. Chapter IV entitled "Theoretical" is a presenlaiion of the difficultiesencountered in trying t o formulate a theory of reaction
velocity, followed hy a review of the various theories which have been promulgated. These are arranged in the chronological order of their appearance and include the Arrhenius Hypothesis, Radiation Hypothesis, Skrahal's Hypothesis, th? Activity Hypothesis, and the Dry Hydrogen-Ion Hypothesis. The remainder of the hook, consisting of six more chapters, takes up the mechanism of various organic reactions from the point of view of reaction kinetics. These are classified as follows: Chapter V, Isomeric Change, including a detailed account of keto-en01 tautomerism and geometric isomerism; Chapter VI, Hydrolytic Reactions, including the hydrolysis of esters, lactones, acid anhydrides, amides, and the inversion of sucrose; Chapter VII, Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, the halogenation and oxidation of paraffins, and the r e actions of the unsaturated hydrorarhnnr with halogen, halogen acid, nitric acid, etc. Chapter VIII, Reactions of Benzene Derivatives, including discussions of directive influence, effects of temperature, solvents, and catalysts, and the standard reactions of the benzene compounds. Chapter IX, General Reactions, reactions which cannot be chssified in any of the above classes, such as Friedel and Crafts Reaction, Cannizzaro's Reaction, and the Claisen Condensation; Chapter X, Special Topics such as the Walden Inversion, the Beckmann Inversion, and Chemical Reactivity. This book is valuable in that it is a logical development of the theory concerning reaction kinetics followed by practical applications to show what a powerful t w l i t is in the solving of certain types of problems in organic chemistry. I t is further valuable in that it has accomplished one of its purposes in bringing together the widely scattered Literature
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resembling it, is the essential constituent element of all the fusible bodies, for all of them are converted into mercury an fusion," and describes the metals in a manner later employed by the mediaeval Avicennae de Congelatione et Congluti- Latins, which shows that Avicenna had natione Lapidum. Being sections of genuine knowledge of their chemistry. the Kit% Al-Shifs, the Latin and The author is strong in his criticism Arahic texts, edited with an English of the alchemists and plain in his statetranslation of the latter and with ment that the transmutation of the metals critical notes by E. J. HOLMYARD, is impossible. Metals can be dyed, hut M.A., M.Sc., F.I.C., M.R.A.S., head their essential nature remains unchanged. of the science department, Clifton He regards it ar impossible to eliminate or College, Bristol, and D. C. MANDE- t o impart the specific differences which ~ L E Clifton , College. Librairie Ori- distinpuish them. entaliste. Paul Guethner, Paris, 1927. Again we are grateful t o Holmyard for x 86 pp. 16.5 X 24.3 cm. 15 s. giving us the benefit of his knowledge of I n this book the authors settle a question Arabic. TENNBYL. DAVIS which has for some time agitated students
on the subject in a form which is easily accessible. ROBERTD. COGHILL
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of the history of mediaeval science. They show that the liber de minerdihlrs Arisfotelis (Aristotle's book on minerals) or less satisfac"is a translation-more tory and not always c o m p l e t w f passages occurring in Avicenna's m a t work The Book of the Remedy." A Latin translation from this Arahic work of Avicenna in the Middle Ages became combined with a Latin translation from the Greek of Aristotle's "Meteoro1ogy"and the whole soon passed as the work of Aristotle. The present hook includes a mediaeval Latin version of that part of the work which was falsely ascribed t o Aristotle, the Arahic text of the same from the Kiiab al-Shife of ibn Sina (Avicenna), and an English translation of the Arahic text. The chapters from the Shif%'which are here a t issue were written after 1021 A.D. and probably before 1023. The first, on the formation of stones, rocks, and mountains, is remarkable for its accurate insight into geological phenomena. The second, on the formation of minerals, is important to students of the history of chemistry, for i t sets forth Avicenna's later and maturer views on alchemy. It contains a clear exposition of the sulfurmercury doctrine of the omposition of the metals-"that mercury, or something
Quantitative Chemical Analysis. CHARLESM. ALLEN. M.A., head of department of chemistry, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N. Y. Second edition. John Wiley and Sons, N. Y. (Wiley Technical Series Loose-Leaf Laboratory Manual, J. M. Jameson, 86 pp. 6 figures. Editor), 1927. ii 20.5 X 26.25 cm. $1.50 net.
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This manual contains, first, a discussion of the usual general processes of Gravimetric Analysis, such as weighing, precipitation, washing, and ignition. Following this are representative gravimetric determinations: namely, complete analyses of barium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potash alum, and limestone. Under Volumetric Anslysis is fust given a discussion of general processes, volumetric measurements, standard and normal solutions and indicators. The volumetric analyses include standard acid and base, the normal acidimetric measurements, hardness of water, oxidation methods with dlchromate and permanganate, chlorine in bleach, "oxidizing power" of pyrolusite, and a few iodometric measurements. Following each determination is a list of questions and problems "designed to prevent mere mechan-
