JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
LABORATORY MANUAL OF ELEMENTARY ORGANIC CHEMISTRY George Holmes Richter, Professor of Organic Chemistry and Dean, The Rice Institute. Second edition. John Wiley 8 Sons, 23.5 '.nI New lg51' ix + 146 l2 figs' X 15.5 cm. $1.80. 0
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THE revision of this well-known laboratory manual maintains the objectives of its predecessor in that it is designed lor students "required t o take a n elementary course in organic chemistry but specializing in the biological sciences." Accordingly,
the experiments have been selected by ~rofessor Richter "to illustrate the principal reactions and teohniques of organic laboratory practice and their applications t o products which
h o ~ ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ , " ~ ~ ~ ~ , "predecessor r " , ~ ~in~ ~ ~ ~ ~ C e l l e n as additional experiments the preparation of trimethylene bromide. camohor. benzoic acid. DDT. sodium benzenesu~ionatk,hippuric acid, ehlorabenke, 2-ðyl-1,4naphtb+ quinone, and phenthiasine. These have been included to provide "alternative selections or intermediates in other preparations." I n addition, the procedures in other experiments
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MARCH, 1952 have been modified "to simplify the technique or improve the yield." A pedagogically valuable innovation is the pertinent questions a t the end of each experiment. The reviewer tested several of these experiments by assigning them to premedical students in his organic chemistry course. These students found the directions clear and obtained the expected quantities of products of good quality. The experiments in this manual are judieiously selected from the point of view of illustrating the principles of organic chemistry. The simple and "warm" style of the author reflects considerable experience in teaching this subject. This manual will he welcomed by those teachers of organic chemistry who favor an introductory group of experiments on the principal laboratory techniques. It will also please those who prefer functional experiments inasmuch as each of these technique experiments employs compounds of some biological interest, e. g., steam distillation of eugenol from cloves, melting point of acetanilide and antipyrine, and extraction of trimyristin from nutmeg. Another feature which should prove stimulating to students is the brief discussion of the applications of the compounds which is appended to each synthesis. Inasmuch as micro and semimiero techniques have become increasingly important in the biological sciences several experiments should be included to illustrate these methods. Another suggestion is the inclusion in the student's laboratory report of s. flow sheet for each synthesis experiment as a device for teaching both sidereactions and the principles involved in purifying organic compounds. With the exception of these few minor omissions this lahoratory manual represents a high standard of pedagogical achievement and is enthusiastically recommended by the reviewer.
and thereby offer a focal point for this rather diffuse area of investigation. T. A. GEISSMAN
U N E V E ~ ~01 LT CALIPORN~A Y Los ANOELEB.CAGIPORNIA
CHAMBER'S DICTIONARY OF SCIENTISTS
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A. V. Howard. E. P. Dutton and Co., Inc., New York, 1951. v 500 numbered half-page columns. 70 portraits. 14.5 X 23 cm. $4.
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THE compiler of a volume of this kind is inevitably faced with the problem of whom to include. There will never be unanimity of opinion on this point, particularly as regards the omissions. The~choicrihere reem r&cntly *nti.f*rtory. Tllc 1,iolorirrl m d plly*icr,l .;ciencrs .trc itnth wrll reprrae,.trd. !dare r1.m 30ll rlren~i.tri:we irrclwlrd wnme the 1:100 lriueruthicwl sketches. The time span extends from t
