discharge of H + and OH- is a~sociated with a n electrical resistance a t the electrode whieh decreases as the current inEdmund C. Potter, Central Electricity creases. In general, the major effect a t Authority for England and Wales, Macsuch electrodes constitutes an opposing po418 millan Co., New York, 1956. xii tential or polarization, including overvoltpp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 25.5 cm. age, which increases not decreases, as the $10. current increases. The American reader will be pursled by PRESENT day e1ectroehemistr.y encomseeing all electrode, reactions written as passes a. respectable area of theory and reductions rather than the more familiar a n equally important area of application. oxidations. Also, the Nernst equation is This hook descrihes highlights of both written with a.positive coefficientin frontof areas ahout, equally within its 418 pages. the logarithm term, which places the reacG No hook of such limited size can do justice ants in the numerator and products in the to either theory or s.pplioations, hut for the denominator. The author states that intermediate science student who is inthis follows the reoent convention adopted terested in a comprehensive acconnt of t h e by the IUPAC. Otherwise, the book consubject without many derivations of equaforms to the A.C.S. sign convention, even tions, and wit,hout gross details of old and though the author says that he uses the new industrial processes, this book serves European sign convention. well. For further details, he will find a n On page 76, the author improves over appended bibliography of sugge~tedf n ~ most discussions on the origin of patent,ial ther reading. in a. galvanic eell, hut there is probably The author describes electrochemical still more the average reader needs to theory starting with electrolysis and know in order to fully understand the Faraday's law, and progresses through ion matter. activitv. conduction, electrode notentialr, The abmissa. of Figure 75 on page 248 overviltages, and eleetrokineti; phenamshould he labeled "current" rather than ens. A number of useful problems ar"current density" u n l e s ~the cell referwd company each chapter to help clarify t o has anodes and cathodes of equal area. fundamentals. On page 255, phosphating solutions for From here on, the hook dedls with anpreparstion of a metal surface for paintalvticnl applications including the polaroing are not called "wash primer," a t least graph, corrosion, electroplating, electroin this country. A wash primer, instead, winning, electrorefining, alkali-chlorine is a type of corrosion inhihiting paint a p production, eleetropolishing, anodizing, plied directly over a metal surface (prime primary and secondary cells, and furl coat) consisting usually of polpinyl bucells. tyral and ZnCrOd compounded with H P 0 4 . The hook is not well suited for use as a On page 266,the criterion of full cathodt,est for a course in electrochemistry. nor ic protection for steel is 0.85 volt more is i t prohshly intended aa such. I t can anodic not more cathodic than the Cuserve hetter as a reference volume for CuS04reference cell. student, teacher, or indu~t,rialresearcher. These few matters do not detract from Some statements could be improved. the value of this hoak in providing a conFor example, (p. I), it iu better to define venient reference for the reader interested anode, not as the positive conductor of a in knowing in short space what electrocell. hut as the electrode a t which oridachemistry is all ahout. ELECTROCHEMISTRY, PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS
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H. H. UHLIG
trolyte. I t is not "current efficiency" (p. 19), whieh is raised by increasing the eondurtivity of the electrolyte in the eell, hut rather "energy efficiency," where the letter is defined as the ratio of theoretical kilowatt hours X 100 to produce a given amount of substance a t an electrode divided by the actual kilowatt haws. On page 280 the author prefers s different definition of energy efficiency based on the actual electrical energy consumed in the
ficance. This matter couldAheargued.I t is misleading to state (p. 201,that the VOLUME 34, NO. 11, NOVEMBER, 1957
M * s B * C R ~ ~ E T T SINBTII.UTE OI T E C X N O L D ~ Y
C ~ ~ s n l n MABSACHDBETTO o~.
LABORATORY GLASSBLOWING
L. M. P a r r a n d C. A. Hendley, Chemical Publishing Co., Ino., New York, 1957. ii 154 pp. 14.5 X 22 cm. $4.
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INTHE preface to this small volume the authors state "Herein are given instructions which they hope will enable any reasonably dextrous person to acquire sufficient skill not only to execute repairs to broken glassware, but also t o make quite complicated glass apparatus." Their
estimate of a reasonably "dextrous person" is perhaps revealed in a delightful summary to Chapter 4. "All the operations we have described can he carried out in a morning or afternoon, by which time you will have learned quit8 a lot of fundamentals of glassh1owing:-how to cut and clean glass; how to draw points; close the end of a tube; and make flanges . . . WL:hope you will also have acquired . . .preparalion, patience, and persevemnee." The hook is written largely from the point of view of a n English laboratory worker which may limit its value for use in the United States. Thus, nothing is said about the problem of operating glass blowing burners with natural rather than manufactured gas. Most of the instructions are for working "soft" or "lime" glass. The best parts of the hook are the chapters on metal-glass seals and stopcocks. Through some error, the table of contents lists a seven-page Appendix which is not included in the body of thl: hoak. LAURENCE E. STRONG EARLXAM COL&EOE R1cHao;ro. IND,*X*
LABORATORY GLASS WORKING FOR SCIENTISTS A. J. B. Robertson, University of London, D. J. Fabian, University of British Columbia, A. J. Crocker, King's College, London, I. De Wing, National Research Council of Canada. Academic Press Inc.. New York; Butterworths Scientific Publica184 pp. $4. tions, London, 1957. xiv
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INA day when much research is done in research institutions, the professional glassblower is one of the many skilled persons who plays an important role in the day-to-day work of the chemist. This might be taken to mean that a working scientist should not spend time training himself to iashion equipment from glass. The authors of this small volume, however, believe that tthe laboratory scientist should he prepared to carry on even in the face of limitations in the service provided for him. Further, they regard lahoratory work rts a craft vital to the continuing of fruitful scientific discovery. They observe, "In modern times the old tradition that the masters of science ~ h o u l dalso be themselves masters of the practical craft of science has failed to persist, and the more eminent scientists are now usually not t o he found a t the working bench in the research laboratory. There is, we think, n consequent weakening of the craft basis of practical ~cientificwork, and some r e treat from the view expressed by I . Lang-
muir that work in the laboratory can be fun." This trend is viewed with alarm. The suggestion is made that there are a variety of ways by which a relatively untrained person can produce useful laboratory equipment from glass. Several chapters are devoted to descriptions of types of glasses and equipment which are useful for laboratory glass working. For the American worker these chapters will serve to relate materials available in England t o those commonly available in the United States. With this information, the fact that the book is largely written from the point of view of English laboratory practice and products will not prove a serious disadvantage. A good deal of emphasis is put on the use of a. hand torch as a simplhied procedure for many operations. Possibly more amateur glass workers need to explore this as an effective aid to forming seals with a minimum demand on manual dexterity. One example which the authors fail to mention is the use of B hand torch and blow tube in removing pinholes from assembled appsrstus. What may well prove most valuahle for many workers already somewhat familiar with glass working techniques are several chapters on special procedures for sealing metal to glass, sealing different kinds of glass together, and handling large diameter tubing. A long chapter is devoted to eanstruetion of pieces of apparatus and will prove helpful not only for its directions for making pieces of useful equipment but also for suggestions on solving various common kinds of problems in glass manipulation. The reviewer believes that the authors should have described the simplest form of water cooled condenser to construct, namely the "West" type, in addition t o the three tvnes nresented. The book concludes wit< 's. hAef discussion of methods for manipulating fused quartz. LAURENCE E . STRONG E.,RL~*MC O L L E ~ Z RICHMOND. INDIILT*
A GUIDE TO THE LITERATURE OF CHEMISTRY E.J. Crane, Director and Editor, The Chemical Abstrads Service, Austin M. Patterson, formerly Professor of Chemistry, Antioch College, Ohio, and Eleanor B. Marr, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hunter College, New York. Second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1957. xiv 397 pp. 1 5 X 23 cm. $8.
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THE second edition of this masterly volume which covers all the ramifications of ohemical literature and its use is essential far any serious study in a chemioal library. As the most recent publication in the field of chemical literature, the bibliographical material is the most nearly up-to-date colleotion of titles now available. Eight ohapters have been retained. They are Problems and Objectives, Books, Periodicals, Patents, Other Sources, Indexes, Libraries and Procedure in Literature Searches. The chapter on Other Sources mentions addresses, biographies, bibliographies, committee findings, lectures, motion pictures, museums, organi-
zations, personal correspondenoe, scientific meetings, theses, unpublished material and some literature from related sciences. The lists of reference books, hooks on special topics, abstract journals and general journals have been classified (with annotations for the important journals) into nearly the same groups as the sections in Chemical Abstracb. Two new chapters, Trade Literature and federal, atate and foreign government publications, hsve been added. Far all the chemical fields, the most important encyolopedias, treatises and speoial titles and their location have been included. Journals and translation services for them are given. The valuable appendixes include a bibliography of chomical literature reference books, a comprehensive list of symbols and abbreviations used by American and foreign publications, names of important chemical library collections, names of older periodicals, scientific and technical organizations, book dealers and publishers. In the past thirty years since the first edition was published, the Special Libraries Association personnel has prepared many useful compilations for hoth general science and chemistry alone. The Division of Chemical Literature of the American Chemical Society is now in existence. Unusual care has been takeken by the authors t o inolude all the tools prepared by these organizations that are valuable for the scientific librarian. This broadens the scope of the suggested source material to include less familiar but nevertheless pertinent publications hoth old and new, reference titles not designed for chemists alone, and foreign abstracting services. The excellent o h ~ p t e ron chemical indexes has been extended to teach the art of their use with illustrations of the type of assistance needed t o recognize difficulties. The recommended procedure to make a literature search for limited or extensive problems is presented in detail. This includes the types of records to employ, mechanical aids and their sdvantages, and a list of books far study of technical writing. Little that might be of a~tssistaneein the examination and creation of chemical literature has been omitted. This edition is a. worthy successor to the first. VIRGINIA BARTOW U s l v e n s l ~ rOF I L L ~ N O ~ URB*N*.I L L ~ N O ~ ~
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
L. Earle Arnow, Vice President and Director of Research, Sharp & Dohme Division of Merck and Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania. Revised with the assistance of Marie C.D'Andrea, Educational Director, School of Nursing, St. Vincent's Hospital, Indianapolis. Indiana. Fiith edition. The C. V. Mosby Ca.. St. Louis. 1957. 529 pp. 108 illus. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. $4.25. This edition of Dr. Amow's text book on chemistry for nurses includes an intraduction to organic and inorganic chemistry as well as physiologioal chemistry and is thus suitable for use in the training of nurses
who may have no previous college courses in general chemistry. I t s success in this field is attested by its passage into this fifth edition. The lines of the previous edition are followed in that application of chemistry especially t o clinical medicine are emphasized for the purpose of maintaining the student interest. I t has been brought up t o date by brief discussions of many recent physiological developments of clinical interest, also tables listing subatomic particles, common organic radicals, precious stones, and clinically important constituents of human blood. I t should be examined hv anvone interested in a. text of this type. "It is well printed and illustrated and well bound. OLAF BERGEIM
U N I ~ E ~ ~oF I TILIINOIB * cx,c*oo, ILLINOIS
INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY CHEMISTRY
L. Eorle Arnow, Vice President and Director of Research, Sharp & Dohme Division of Memk and Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania. Revised with the assistance of Marie C. D'Andreo, Educational Director, School of Nursing, St. Vincent'sHospital, Indianapolis, Indiana. Fifth edition. The C. V. Mosby Co., Inc., St. Louis, 1957. 116 pp. 38 illus. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. $1.50. THISlaboratory manual was written to accompany the author's hook for nurses. This edition has increased space far snswering questions and a convenient spiral type binding. New are experiments on paper chromatography, biological demonstration of testosterono, and examination of number of chemicals oommonly found in hospitals. The experiments on inorganic, organic, physiolagioal, and pathological chemistry are, in general, well selectod far the type of oourse for which they are sugge~ted.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
H. H a r r y Szmont, Duquesne University. Prentice-Hd, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New 803 pp. 46 figs. Jersey, 1957. xii 8 tables. $7.95.
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DR. SZMANThas contributed a r e freshingly new approach to the presentation of organic chemistry, both in organization and description. The factors which make this book different from other organic chemistry texts include: (1) an expanded introduction giving an excellent review of electronic configuration, chemi d bonding, hybridieation, and electronegativity; (2) an early presentat,ion (Chapter 2) of the concept of resonance; (3) an extensive introduction t o the principal types of organic compounds (Chapter 3); and (4) s, unique orgsniestion of the classes of organic compounds in the main body of the text. The book is divided into three parts. (Continued on page A5C6) JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
