which commences as follows"Physical chemistry is the science which derives from the principles and experiments of physics the reasons for the phenomena which take place in compound bodies through chemical operations. I t may also be called chemical philosophy but in a sense different from that mystical philosophy in which not only the reasons fade but the operations themselves indeed are carried out secretly." Twelve hundred copies of Volume VI were printed but many of them were badly injured by flood and only about 350 were actually made up. The valuable b m k is accordingly already "scarce." Volume VII, iii 591 pages, edited by Menschutkin, contains Lomonosov's metallurgical works, "Chemical and Optical Notices," written by him in 1761 and intended for a special paper which he did not write, and papers on geographical and asrronomical subjects. One paper is in Latin, one is in Swedish from the Latin of Lomonosov, the others arc in Russian. A translation by Lomonosov into Russian of a work of Hensius on comets is also included. A colored map of the northern hemisphere shows what lands in the far north were known in Lomonosov's time. Lomonosov was one of the greatest figures in the history of chemistry. He set forth an atomic-molecular theory of matter some sixty years earlier than Dalton, foreseeing the possibility of isomers. He was the first to observe and describe frozen mercury and the first in Europe (1749) to establish a laboratory for the regular instruction of university students in practical chemistry by the laboratory method. His program for the study of the physico-chemical properties of solutions included a number of important points, viscosities, specific heats, etc., which have not even yet been sufficiently examined. Now that his works have been brought together, it is hoped that they will be studied and discussed in detail for the benefit of English-speaking students of the history of chemistry. TENNEYL. DAVIS
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MASSACHUSETTB
I N S T I T U OP ~
TBCE~NOLOCY
C m e n m o e , MASS.
esting wealth of material, he is of the opinion that the average physical chemist will find it rather difficult reading in parts. The author is constantly appealing to equations which have to be accepted on faith, since their derivation would be much beyond the scope of the volume. On the other hand, it might have been better (and this is merely the opinion of the reviewer) if the author had expressed some of these equations in words, and given their fundamental "physical" significance rather than the actual mathematical expressions. From the point of view of the chemist a more complete discussion of the distribution curves, such a n shown for instance in Figures 3 and 5, would have been much more useful than the presentation of the mathematical equations an which they are based. Similar criticism might be applied also to Section 21 in Chapter 4, which deals with the vibrational and rotational energy levels. The author could have afforded to use a little more space discussing the physical basis of the theory without going into so much detail regarding the exact equations. Each chapter is accompanied by quite a comprehensive bibliography. However, this bibliography contains hardly any references at all to the numerous investigations in this field which have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Sociely, Chemical Physics, and other chemical journals. In making these critical remarks the reviewer does not wish to detract in any way from the valuable features of the volume. He merely desires to emphasize the fact that it appears to be difficult for a physicist, especially one who has been trained in the theoretical aspects of the subject, to realize the point of view of the chemist for whom this volume is presumably written SAUL DUSHMAN ~ s s s m c x~ ~ e o a n r o a GmsaAL u, ELBcrarc COMPANY SCHENBCT*DV. NEW Y O R I
ANNUAL REVIEWOF BIOCHEMISTRY, VOLUME IV. James Murray Luck, Stanford University, Editor. Annual Review of Biochemistry, Ltd., Stanford University P. 0.. California. 1935. vii 639 pp. 15 X 22 cm. $5.00.
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THE OPTICALBASISOF CHEMICAL VALENCY. R. de L. Kronig, Ph.D., University of Groningen. Cambridge Physical Chemistry Series; Cambridge: a t the University Press; New York City: The Maemillan Company, 1935. x f 246 pp. 67 figs. 14 X 21.5 cm. $4.50. The contents of this book are briefly as follows. The first chapter is merely introductory and brief. The second chapter, entitled "The Investigation of Atomic and Molecular Structure by Means of X- and Cathode Rays," contains an interesting presentation of the two types of investigations by which it has been found possible to determine the probable distributions of ' electrons in atoms and molecules. The third chapter, entitled "Atomic S p t r a and the Periodic System," gives a brief review of the relation between the types of energy levels as determined from line spectra, and the electron configuration. Chapter 4, entitled "Band Spectra and Chemical Binding in Diatomic Molecules," and Chapter 5, entitled "Band Spectra and Chemical Binding in Polyatomic Molecules," constitute by far the largest portion of the volume, and properly so, because from the band spectra it is possible to determine the modes of vibration of the individual atoms, their relative distances apart, force constants and dissociation energies, as well as inertia of rotation of the molecule as a whole about a neutral axis. The Hund-Mulliken theory of electronic energy levels is dealt with, and the nomenclature used is explained in detail. The interpretation of Raman spectra is, of course, also considered. Specific sections are devoted t o discussing the behavior of different types of molecules. A detailed table gives values of vibration frequencies, moments of inertia, dissociation energies and similar constants for diatomic molecules, as derived from band spectral observations. The last chapter is entitled "Optical and Thermal Dissociation" and deals with such topics as predissociation spectra about which there has been considerable discussion in recent years. While the reviewer has found that the book contains an inter-
The fourth volume of this now well-established review conprises the following chapters. Permeabilitv. M. H. Tacobs Biological Oxidations and Reductions. R. Sonderhoff Enzymes. J. B. Sumner .. The Chemistry of the Carbohydrates and the Glycosides. Sir J. C. Irvine and G. J. Robertson The Chemistry of the Acyclic Constituents of Natural Fats and Oils. E. Chargaff The Chemistry of the Proteins and Amino Acids. E J. Cohn The Chemistrv and Metabolism of the Com~oundsof Sulfur. H. B. Lewis The Chemistry and Metabolism of the Nucleic Acids, Purines, and Pyrimidines. L. R. Cerecedo Carbohydrate Metabolism. C. F. Cori and G. T . Cori Fat Metabolism. C. Artom The Metabolism of Amino Acids and Proteins. Y. Kotake The Metabolism of Creatine and Creatinine. %. C. Rose Detorication Mechanisms. B. Harrow and C. P. Sherwin The Hormones. B. A. Houssay, V. Deulofeu. and .4. D. varenzi Choline and Allied Substances. J. H. Gaddum Vitamins. L. J. Harris Nutrition. S. Brody The Chemistry of Muscle. P. Eggleton The Metabolism of Brain and Nerve. E. G. Holmes Chemical Embryology. J. Needham The Biochemistry of Malignant Disease. B. Holmes Plant Pigments. R. Kuhn The Alkaloids. R . Robinson The Mineral Nutrition of Plants. F . C. Steward Growth Substances in Plants. K. V. Thimann Immunochemistry. M. Heidelberger The Chemistry of Bacteria. M. Stephenson Index. OTTO REINMUTH ~
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