52
JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION
(3) Fungus Diseases rtnd Fungioides. (4) Radiation and Radisi tion Hazards. (5) Shipping Regulations. I n addition the hook contains references whieh the authors have utilized, and a180 a list of abbreviations and symbols and a general index. According to the authors, "this hook is directed to not only the industrial physician and trained safety inspector in industry, but to foren~enand plant managers, who have neither the time or the inclination to make a deep study of possible toxic hazards that might oocur in their shops. I t is also intended for research and development laboratories and pilot plant workers who use a wide variety of materials and who often need reliable safety dsta concerning them." This reviewer believes that this is undoubtedly one of the most extensive reference books of its kind. The material is arrantneed
boiling points. Whenever necessary shipping regulations are also stated, and in addition the hazardous properties of many of the chemicals are described. Occasionally, statements made regarding toxio properties of many of the chemicals mentioned are not sufficiently specific and often create an erroneous impression of the existing hazard. For instance, under a. description of the hazardous properties of aniline i t is stated that, "this hazard was first discovered in the German dye industry where the 'aniline tumor' was said to develop in men exposed to it. In modern times and with present methods of handling, the occurrence of any serious poisoning in industry has been prevented." This statement would indicate that i t w a s the method of hmdling aniline which has now prevented the aniline tumor. Actually, it is now known that i t is not aniline which caused the bladder tumors hut rather the S nsphthylamine and benzidine utilized in the dye industry that are carcinogenic. Other instance8 in whieh there is not sufficient attention given t o the concentration, the length of exposure, and specific eNeets to certain organs of the body could be cited. As s whole, the ohemicals are dealt with in a very excellent manner, but this book should not be considered as a textbook on industrial toxicology. This reviewer has not seen in anv other hook such comolete
fie. Section three deals with the fungus diseases and the fungicides. I t gives a. table of fungus disease in industry which includes agriculture workers, bakers, dairymen, chambermaids, grape pickers, iockevs. saurthfeeders. bath houseattendants. and numerousother
RUTHERFORD T. JOHNSTONE
Los A w e e m s C*LIPORNI*
WORLD POPULATION AND FUTURE RESOURCES Edited by Paul K. Haft, Professor of Soeidogy, Northwestern University. The Proeeedings of the Second Centennial Academic Conference of Northwestern University. American Book Co., 262 pp. Illustrated. 14.5 X 21.5 New York, 1951. xviii cm. $3.50.
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I s T N I J b)qwsiunl of v i e w I,? 20 [v~rti~ipilnt; on polmlation, food rrsounw, ~ n I dlit, minerd ltnd ~ n e r g veupplivs lor tltc fulurc, 1 1 1 ~gmrr:,l 1roywrt is, on rhr nla,l+, riot tau oplinli~tir. The population pn,lelwr ir romplwnt+d I,? our politiwl imll wonomit! 18, r x ~ i ~ i l1WRlmPnl al Ioug RF thew I~arriwa:rnd i.i 1 w t il~uwrd~lc I p i l Itr this ronnwtitm e r final that 11w t m n "wo~ v w m "h , invuded ~ . w ~ ~ i o I ~litrr3tuw. z i ~ ~ ~ I m d that the grim possibility of mass reduction of populations by widespread mortalities, such as the Black Death, is seriously considered.
While the chapters on mineral and energy resources do not provide too much precise data, they do constitute a useful general summary which, is on the whole, level-headed and conservative appraisal of such resources. Unfortunately, however, one of the mast critical resource problems, that of fertilizers, is mentioned onlv in t,he discussion of land develooment: it deserves mare de-
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hut in sacrificing some of our own to meet on seme middle ground, if mankind is to survive in anything like the numbers which "0%. inhabit the earth. J.
w.
HEDGPETH
SCR~PPS INST~TYI~ON 0 1 OC&ANOORAPXY La J0Ll.b. C&IPOBN.A
0
THE AMJNO ACID COMPOSITION OF PROTEINS AND FOODS
Richard 1. Block, Deparhnent of Physiology and Biochemistry, New York Medieal College, and Diane Bolling. Second edition. 576 pp. Charles C Thomas. Springfield, Ill., 1951. xxloriii Illustrated. 16 X 2 5 cm. $10.50.
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THEappearance of a second edition of this hook, five years after the first edition, testifies to its fsvorahle reception by protein chemists. This is a volume definitely for the use of the analytical chemist who is concerned with the analvsis of moteins for bheir amino-acid content. The knowledge, gained s>ew decades ago, that the nutritive value of protein depends upon the protein's content of certain amino acids has emphasized the necessity of accurate evaluation of the amino-acid make-up of pure proteins rtnd protein foods. Such analysis presents a difficult problem and involves many pitfalls. Much wokk has been done and many methods have been developed. The authors of this volume have critically evaluated analytical methods for amino-acid determinations from the classical methods based on isolstion of individual amino acids to the newer pmcedures involving chromatography, isotope dilution and microbiological techniques. The destruction of amino acids during hydrolysis of the proteins prior to analysis and methods for minimizing such destruction are considered in detail. This loss represents one of the chief errors in protein analysis and is frequently neglerted in evaluating results of smino-acid analysis. In the early chapters of the hook the analytical methods for individual amino acids are presented. These are grouped under the followine headines: diamino acids. aromatic amino acids.
the description of the analytical methods, the composition of proteins and protein foods with respert to the amino acids under discussion are given in tables. The data, taken from the liters, ture, have been calculated to 16.0 grams of nitrogen. That is, the grams of amino acids given in tables represent the amount that would he obtained from that quantity of protein containing 16 grams of nitrogen. The smino-acid composition of proteins is also summarized in extensive tables near the end of the book. A hundred pages are devoted to a discussion of general methods for protein analysis. In this part are included preparation of the sample for analysis, methods and conditions of hydrolysis, separation of amino acids by fractional distillation of their esters, electrolytic separation, chromotagraphy, including paper chromatography. Miorabiological and enzymatio methods of analysis are described. Using the d s t a on amino-acid make-up of food proteins and the well-known food consumption surveys conducted some years ago hy the Department of Agriculture, the authors calculate the amino-acid intake on typical American diotaries. The aminoacid coutrihution of specific food groups, as consumed, is also evaluated. From the brief description given in this review, i t should be
