pages on metal hydrides by A. Herold. There are about 11 pages on francium by M. Perey, and the sections on copper, silver, and gold were written by J. Issbey, R. Collongues, and P. Hagenmuller, respectively. No change has been made in formst, and the devices of the bibliographic form, such as a note a t the bottom of each page to show location of the bibliography ahead, are useful. I t is oommendable that there is no rigid adherence t o a limited list of periodicals as source material for the entire set, and it is noted that large numbers of titles not on the basic list are to be found in many of the bibliographies scattered throuehout the textual material. But
of each vohme. ROGER V. KRUMM FLORIDA G*INEBVILLE. FLORID* Umvrnamr
OF
FLAME PHOTOMETRY P. Burriel-Marti, Professor of Analytical Chemistry, and 1.Rornirez-Monoz, Senior Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry. University of Madrid. Elsevier Publishing Co., New Yark, 1957. Distributed by D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York. xxi 531 pp. 16 X 23 cm. $12.75.
+
THIS book i8 divided into six parts. The first part consisting of 15 pages is devoted to an introduction to the origin and principles of flame photometry. The second part of 13 pages is entitled Analysis by Flame Photometry and repeats some of the material in the first part. The third part of instrumental systems (100 pages) gives a detailed account af the various parts of a flame photometers, commercial and non-commercial, that have been mentioned in the literature. The next part (70 pages) discusses the elements that can he determined, the sensitivity of these determinations, and the limitations of flame photometry both from the instrumental and chemical point of view. Parts 5 and 6 (200 pages) are devoted to the actual experimental methods and specfic applications of flame photometry. The authors of this book have compiled over 900 references in the bibliography. These references cover the literature through 1956 with an occasional reference to 1957. The text of the book is easentially a. very exhaustive but not alvays critical review of these published articles. The first four parts of the book are quite repetitious and pmt 5 is rather verbose. Part 6, on the other band, gives procedur~sfor the actual flame photometrio determination of components in a wide variety of materials. This section is probably the most complete compilation of procedures that has appeared in print. However, one exception was noted in that the method for the determination
(Continued a page AS60) JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
of nitrogen in organic compounds was not included in the applications section even though it was mentioned briefly in part 2. There are remarkably few typographical errors in the book. The format is good and the organization is easy to follow. The most glaring omission seems to be in the section devoted to electrical circuits that have been suggested for flame photometers. Many of these diagrams have been reproduced without sufficient labeling of the component parts or legends to make them valuable to the reader. The hook should he useful to anyone who is contemplating the establishment of a laboratory devoted to &me photometric methods or to anyone engaged in research on the theory and applications of this method of analysis. Even though the authors make no claim that the bibliography is complete, they have tried to review practically all of the pertinent literature. CLARK E. BRICKER P s m o ~ m nU N L V B R B ~ Y PRINC~TOX. NEW JERSEY
THE DEVELOPMENT OF TITRIMETRIC ANALYSIS TILL 1806
E. Rancke Modsen, Technical University of Denmark.
G. E. C. Gads Forlag, Copenhagen, 1958. 238 pp. 16.5 X 24 em. Paper bound. D. er. 20. ANAL~ICA chemistry L is made up of such diverse branches that its history is best presented in specialized monographs such as the one being reviewed here This text was originally submitted to thefaculty of the University of Copenhagen as a doctoral dissertation and then put into English for publication. The translator ia P. Hardt, also a. Dane, a fact thet is sometimes reflected in the translation. The author made a thorough search of the literature, both periodicals and books, and his bibliography of 337 items is a valuable contribution to the history of this rather neglected topic. He not only digested what he read but in some cases tried out the eady procedures. A reading knowledge of German and French is assumed; the text contains many passages in these languages. I t is always difficult to establish the date of the beginning of any branch of science. Acid-base indicators occur, possibly for the first time in the published literature, in one of Robert Boyle's writings of 1663, and since the estahlishment of the endpoint is one of the vital features of titrimetry, Madsen uses this date as his starting point. Boyle used syrup of violets but extracts from other flowers, vegetables, berries, and woods were soon employed. Some had doubts that the change of color coincided with the point of sat(Continued on page AS61) JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
