JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
588 highly probable that an investigation of his influence in western Europe would reveal that his ideas were more effective than they seem a t first glance. This book may be read solely as the biography of one of the world's groat scientists, for the picture i t gives of life in eighteenth century Russian intellectual circles, or for the light which it casts on the conduct of science in Russia even today. I n any ease, the exp~riencewill be rewarding. HENRY 11. LEICESTER
COLLEOE Oi. PHIBICLANB A N D SDBDEONS SAN FRANCI~CO. CALIIORNIA
tronic structures of the elements in interpreting the disposition of matter in hoth time and space. It is extremely difficult to explain the geochemical paths of mangrtnous and calcium ions, hoth with similar ionic potentials, without such a study. The hook is relative free of errors, although the use of salinities in describing the ianic composition of river waters seems improper. An up-to-date bibliography suitable far further elaboration of the topics is appended to each chapter. EDWARD D. GOLDBERG OF OOEANORRIPHT Scnr~psINBTITOTIOIP LA $om*. C*~lronm*
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CHEMISTRY OF THE SILICONES Eugene G. Roochow, Associate Professor of Chemistry. H-ard. Second edition. JohnWiley & Sans, Inc., New York, 1991. xiv 213 pp. Illustrated. 15 X 23 em. $5.
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THE approach t o his subject as well as the general excellence of the first edition havc been admira.bly maintained by Professor h e h o w in thc present book. It comprises a critical survey of t,he field which is a t the same time comprehensive and general cnough t o completely satisfy tho non-specialist and near-speeialist. Sew chapters have been added and me entitled: The Carbon-Silicon Bond, Synthesis of Organadicon Compounds, and Tho Phumical Chemifitry of Silicones. Further, the tables of compounds and refcrenccs ttre now more readily available in a separate chapter. While t,his rovicwer is not in agreement with several of the conclusions and hypotheses presented in the chapter on the Carbon-Silicon hand, the author's remarks a t the end of this chaptcr vory properly l o r n tho reader with the impression that theor,v in this area is still in a rather early stage of development. I n summary, it can bc said that within limits of his oun choosing the author has achicved a remarkably lucid account of an intercrting and rapidly grousing field of chemistry. The book does not profess to be and is not a comprehensive treatise on the subject. Such a work is still unn-ritten. L. H. SOMMER
FJNLElTUNG IN DAS STUDIUM D W CHEMIE Ira Remsen. Translated into German by H. Reihlen. 15th edition. Theodor Steinkopff, Dresden, 1950. xvi 345 pp. €0figs. 5 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. DM 10.
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TEEghost of dear old Dr. Remsen will smile benignly on this, the 15th German edition of his "Intrductian t o General Chemittry," for he will find it not different in spirit from his first (1884) edition. Dr. Reihlen, who unfortunately suffered a heart attack shortly before its publication, will be there with Remsen, in a. niche well earned by this work of labor and love: for few indeed are the textbooks which so withstand the ravages of time. I t is sound, classical general chemistry, brought essentially up to date. As such, it may be useful to the graduate student for practicereading in scientific German; for the type is clear, the topics clearly arranged and captioned, and the vocabulary simple. But teachers of chemistry in the United States will find scarcely any new approaches, little to fire the student's imagination, and few drawings. Today's front+age,scienoe is slighted: there is little industrial or cultural chemistry and only thirteen pagea of organic chemistry: By way of illustrating its omissions Ti03 is barely mentioned, although today four times as many tons of it artre consumed in the paint industry as white lead, which is fully treated. German contributors are favored: "genid"KekuM, (page330) and "genial" Robert Mayer, (page 3); Clusius (usee 244) is the onlv one mentioned under isotoues., and Hahn and Strassman are the only scientists mentioned in three pagea of the atom-homh story. Repuiencaf in pace.
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HUBERT N. ALYEA
Pnwomor U ~ ~ v ~ n a ~ r r Pnmor;~olr,NEW J E R ~ E Y
PRINCIPLES OF GEOCHEMISTRY
Brian Mason, Department of Geology, Indiana University. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1952. vii 276 pp. 14.5
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X 22.5 cm.
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A TEXTBOOK in geochemistry hahas long been awaited by workera in earth sciences. The present hook attempts to frame earth evolution against a background of chemical theories along with information from the other natural soiences. The author surveys the georhomicd domain, follawing the principles of V. M. Goldsrhmidt, with rhapters on the history and definition of geoohemistry; elemontsry cosmological theory; the structure and oomposition of thoearth; s. review of thermodynamics and crystal chemist.ry; igneous rocks; sedimentation proeeeaes; the hydrosphere; the atmosphere; the biosphere; metamorphism; and the geochemical cycle. Although most of the topics are covered adequately for an initid explomtion of this field, the reviewer feels that a more generalized and a more bask presentation of the nuclear and atomic properties of matter are neoessary. Isotopic fractionation in nature has already provided a wealth of information on paleochemical investigations, especially in the oases of oxygen and sulfur. The role of naturally occurring rsdiosctive elements in geo-chronology is dealt with very lightly. To realize the full implications of such phenomena the characteristics of nuclear species must he elucidated. Further, the concept of the ionic potential is certainly leas useful than a gcnoralization of chemical properties based upon elec-
THE MERCK INDEX OF CHEMICALS AND DRUGS
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xiv Sixth edition. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N. J., 1952. 1167pp. 15.5 X 24 cm. Thumb-index copy, $8.; regular copy, $7.50.
Tm: sixth edition will increase the value to chemists of this well-known book. I t is only ten per cent larger than the previous edition, but i t differs in several important respects. The main section, on ohemioals and drugs, has been expanded to more than 1M)O pages-nearly double the size in the fifth edition. The section on clinico-chemical tests and reagents has beon eliminated and substituted in this edition by a shorter section on Organic "Name" Reactions. This section (70 pages) can be exceedingly valuable t o a chemist for i t describes briefly, with literature references, more than 300 organic reactions which are known by their authors' names. Who has not been embarrassed by his inability t o identify and recall mme obscure organic "name" reaction? A new section on radioisotopes and their use in medical therapy is included, as well as a short table of standard buffers far pH calibration. The useful tables of the earlier editions, too numerous t o list separately, have been retained and brought up to date. Finally, an up-to-date periodic table and table of atomic weights on the inside covers put the finishing touches on an excellent special-use chemical handbook.
