VOL. 8, No. 8
RECENT BOOKS
Company. 440 Fourth Avenue, New York City. 1930. 144 pp. 95 figs. 14 X 20 cm. $2.50. The author states in the preface, "It (the book) is intended as a mmbination text and laboratory manual for the author's classes in microscopy a t the Lowell Textile Institute but it is also intended to he of aid to the independent worker in the industry who may or may not have had a college education or the equivalent in optics. I n brief the object of t h ~ sbook is to collect in one volume enough of the fundamentals as to apparatus, methods, and data on the fibers to introduce the reader to the large subject of Textile Microscopy." The book is divided into seven parts. Part I takes up apparatus describing equipment which cot~ld be used in a textile microscopy laboratory. Part I1 deals with methods used in making longitudinal mounts and cross-sections. It discusses briefly micrometry and microchemical reactions. The author seems to lose himself, in the Shaw fashion, in his discussion bf Longitudimal mounts. The description of the cutting of cross-sections is very good. Part I11 is called Identifications. The first part of this section is devoted to the microscopic identification of starches. The second part takes up the microscopic identification of textile fibers. On first reading, i t appears that undue emphasis was placed on identification of starches but when i t was remembered that the book was written in a cotton manufacturing locality and the importance of starch as a cotton filler,the reason for the introduction of this subject was understood. There are a number of photomicrographs in this chapter, several particularly clear ones of cross-sections of various rayons. Part IV discusses LowPower Microscopy in quite an introductory way but with same interesting photomicrographs. Part V takes up Photomicrography. This seems in the opinion of the reviewer to be unusually well written. It very simply and clearly describes types of apparatus, photo-
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micrographic manipulation, exposure time, color photography, etc. Part VI gives a list and description of a variety of good experiments which could be covered in a very short time and give some knowledge or could be expanded to give a very thorough knowledge of the field of textile microscopy. Part VII includes various formulas, descriptions of the microscopic appearance of textile fibers, and bibliography. The text contains a large number of illustrations considering the total number of pages. The illustrations are on the whole very good considering the difficulty of photographing the subject matter and printing. I n the opinion of the reviewer, the author has succeeded admirably in carrymg out the primary purpose of the hook. Its value from the standpoint of chemical education is diRicult to estimate as the author places chemistry in the background and emphasizes simplicity. This seems to be necessary in order to fulfil the purpose of the bwk. This book would be helpful as a reference for those beginning the study of textile microscopy or to those working in this field in the industries. It would be an up-to-date and worthwhile addition to the library of any one interested in Textile Microscopy. MARYL. WILLARD T A E PBNNSYLVANIA STAT* COLLBOB Sr~m COLLBCB, PBNN*.
Essentials of Organic and Biological E. W ~ ~ r ~ e r nPh.D., r, Chemistry. Professor of Chemistry. University of Arkansas. The Chemical Publishing 175 Co., Easton, Pa., 1931. vi pp. 7 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $2.50.
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This volume was apparently written for a very special group and will be of value only to that group. It is an ambitious undertaking to attempt to cover in 175 fairly open printed pages even the "essentials" of both organic and biological chemistry. The volume is designed as a text for a combined course in organic and biological
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JOURNAL OF CHEIdICAL EDUCATION
AUGUST,1931
chemistry, the course being "for one school text for those students who wish semester (18 weeks) with two periods to follow up their year of "chemistry" a week for lecture and recitation and two with a second year of the same subject. laboratory periods." The first eight ROSS AIKENGORTNER weeks are devoted t o a consideration of TJNIU~X-SIT? OD MINNBIOTA ST. PAUL. MINX the aliphatic compounds, with the exception of carbohydrates and proteins. which are included in the second eight Laboratory Manual of Physiological weeks along with other biochemical Chemistry. MEYERBODANSKY, Ph.D., compounds. Director of Laboratories, John Sealy Hospital, Galveston, and Profeswr of The 175 pages are divided into twenty Pathological Chemistry. Univers~ty of chapters, introduction, saturated hydroTexas; and MARION FAY, Ph.D., carbons, ethylene series, acetylene series. Associate Professor of Biological Chemhalogen derivatives, alcohols and ethers, i s m . School of Medicine, University of aldehydes and ketones, acids and their Texas. Second edition, revised. John derivatives, polyhasic acids and urea, Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, amiues, optical activity, carbohydrates, 1931. xi 260 pp. 9 figs. 15 X aromatic compounds, proteins, metaho23 cm. S2.W. lism, nutrition, dietary necessities, and foods and beverages. Appended to each This hook was written very obviously chapter is a list of questions to guide the for students in medical courses in physiostudent in preparing for the inevitable logical chemistry: it contains no reference examinations. to methods applied to plant biochemistry The chapter on carbohydrates may be although the field of animal biochemistry taken as a sample. It covers a total is very well covered. There are chapters of 12 pages, 5 pages of which are devoted on couoids, the proximate principles, to the monosaccharides, less than 2 tissues, digestion, milk, hlwd; and urine. pages to the disaccharides and 3 pages The first chapter deals with the place of to the polysaccharides. The only formulas quantitative chemical analysis in physiowhich are given are the straight-chain logical chemistry; i t is brief and to the structural formulas for glucose, "levulose." point and provides an excellent point and galactose. (The spacial configura- of departure for the motivation of the tion of galactose is in error, the formula laboratory work. Throughout the hook labeled "galactose" is in reality d-idose.) there is evidence of sound pedagogical The ring formula and mutaratation are balance; the qualitative experiments are not mentioned. Starch is given the given in a manner indicating that they "proposed formula" CllsHzsoOlaaor (Ca- have been tried out and found satisfactory. H,oO,),.. The directions for the quantitative The reviewer regrets that it is necessary methods are given much as originally to offer such ahhreviated chemical courses published and, while sample calculations in certain of our universities. The only are occasionally given, the student is justification seems t o lie in the supposition required to establish his own formulas that a little information is better than no for estimating the results. The selection information a t all, but t o designate such of methods has been confined t o those a course a "university course" certainly found satisfactory by the authors, with justifies in part the criticisms which emphasis upon the more recent ones. Abraham Flexner has recently directed I n no sense is the hook a catalog of a t the American university system. As a currently available biochemical methods. college text i t is too elementar?., and too There is, unfortunately, little attention given to the quantitative evaluation of brief to be recommended. I t might serve a very useful purpose as a high- the enzyme potency of the digestive
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