BOOK REVIEWS t,ures of polymers have not I m n referred to a t all, or have heen mentioned only hriefly. Among these are chemical honds and mol~cularforces, infrared methods of determination of chemical structure of polymers, thermal stability of polymers, effects of degree of crystallinity and molecular weight on tensile strength, relationship of polymer properties for plaatic, fiber or elxstomcr application, steric hindrance in polymer chains, the theory of gelation, prop~rtieeof polyelectrolytes, properties of proteins, and cellnlosic materials. Tho mthor points out in the pref~ce t h a t "only selected topics could be treated in a book of modest size, and the choices were naturally guided by my own research exprrienres." His interests in viscoelasticity hnvc predominated in his thinking, and many of the other physical concepts discussed have heen used as snpporting dat,n for t,he major bopic of viscoelsstir bphnvior. The only criticism of this hook m n he thnt the title is too hroad rather than that the snhject matter treatment ia inadequate. As pointed out &have, the theorrtiesl and mat,hematicsl treatment of the choscn subject msttrr have heen done in a n rscellent manner.
Toxicology: Mechanisms and Andylical Methods. Volume 1 Edited by C P. Stewart, University of Edinbnrgh, Scotland and A . Stolman, Connecticut State Department of Heakh, Hxrtford. Academic Press, Ine., Xew York, l!lfil). w i i 773 pp. Figs, and tahles. 16.5 x 23.5 cm. 322.
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The srope of toxicology in this book is largely forensic; the meclmnisms are to n large extent those of drugs, and the analytical methods relate to Imdy tissues and excreta. Toxicology, which in the older and stricter view might he considered as the science of poisons, rather today is in reslitv s ficioncc dcvoted to the dcterminatian far anv material under what conditions it is either safe or hmeficial. This cancept is ut,ilizerl in research in est,ablishing limits of safety, control of the environment, the surveillance of man as related to industri:d exposure, air and water pollution. This concept applies equally to the foods eaten hy the general pnhlic, t o drug action, to forensic medicine, etc. Since t,he present day purmit of this field of knowledge, aa many others, involves the use of many disciplines, it ir rensonably ~mderstxndnblowhy no one author nor any group h a attempted to provide a B. BUTLER series of r d h d comprehensive hooks perGEORGE taining to the toxieologic~lfacts, per se, Universil?, of Florida as well as the knowledge and techniqoes Gainesville as applied by tho nwncrous disciplines. It is nnfortnnato thnt a book as wcll nritten and as anthoritstive in its pnrticular aspect of toxicology unwit,tingly leaves the impression that its phase is The Use of Organic Reagents In either the only or the major portion of Inorganic Analysis toxicology. A. I . Rmev and G. Polianskii. One will not find here elnhorntion of such Translated from t,he Russian hy J. 1'. basic toricologienl concepts as dosnge-reGreaues. Pergamon Press, Ine., New sponse, tolerance, poison, safety, or York, 1960. viii 76 111,. 14.5 X 22 hazard. Toxicological facts, p w se, sympem. 53.50. tomatology and pathology arc considered only slightly or not xt d l . This short monograph, a n English The authors correctly call attcntion to translation of thc original Russian tert, the fact that upon inhalation of a. gas or should prove quite useful to chemists in vapor that the time required for saturathis country. The first section of this tion (equilibrium) of the body hy a, nonhook trcats the problems one encounters reactive material is inversely related to in the application of organic reagents. the duhility. However, ihey do not Short abstracts of theoretical studies of make it clear that the canrentration in the conqdev formation are presented in this blood a t equilibrium is unrelated to solusection. The second portion of the t e r t bility but rnther related to the distribution gives, according t o a periodic group coefficient between the blood and the classification, methods of determining alveolar air. Although valuable blood many of the elements using organic levels are related t o clinical conditions, reagent,s. the concentrations inhaled and times t o Most of the references in this text attain such levels generally are not m cover the yean from 1953 through ported. 1955. This limitation prevents any criti d treatment of orgsnic reagents such This book explains well the principles as that presented in references by Welcher of the method of analysis, although, or Feigl. The translation is not well a t times the discussions are s little written, but nevertheless the material meager. For example, the infrared inwill be useful in the study of nrganic strumentation presents an optical dinreagents. gram of a typical spectrometer which has An attractive feature of this text is the been supplanted by more up-to-date inincorporation of material from Russian struments. It is our opinion that section iournals. The Enelish translations of VII (page 338), Gas Chromatography, was all the orizinal shes are available aadly neglected. However, the other fields of interest and remaining discussions, while brief, may be adequate for a worker who wishes to familiarize himself with the THEODORE R. WILLIAMS general principles of analysis. The referCollege of Wooster Wooster, Ohio (Conlinmd on page A924)
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