principle intls t h e proceclurI., Imt al:m iiiclutlc s ;I d.tai1i.d study of t!ie CILIRLIS KOBI:RTSANGEK. conditions of t h e rcactioii. fIARVhRD
UNIVERSITY. c . A X l ~ K l L J l > M ~ ~A , SS..
April y 1908. . .
NEW BOOKS. Lehrbuch der Gerichtlichen Chemie. 13. In zwei Banden. Zweitc ganzlich urn schweig. F. I'ieiveg und Sohn. 190;.
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8'-svi, 490, BrnunSlnrks, bound 13 Marks. age.
The first volume of the new edition of this manual by Dr. Baumert of the University of Halle is devoted t o t h e detection and determination of poisons and noxious substances in t h e catlaver and cxcrctions, in foods and beverages, household articles, imtcr, air ~ ~ i isoil c l and t o chemico-legal problems in general. \'olunic I1 will hc. written by Drs. Dennstedt and Voigtlander, of Hamburg, aiid will lii. confined t o the iiiethods for the examination of inks, writiiigs, signatures, forgeries, etc., aiid t o the cxamination of blood, blood and spermatic stains and materials of a similar nature. Dr. Baumert is entitled t o the thanks aiid gratitude of analysts for having placcd in their hands a manual of legal cheinisir!. truly worthy of the name. Although a hook of oii1)- 490 pagcs, it is a marvel of compactness and thoroughness, .\ reader. glancing ovcr the table of contents, would be a p t t o form t h e opiiiion t h a t tlic treatment, iri general, must be incomplete, elerncntary mid unsatisfactory, h t upon careful study it becomes apparent that this is not t r u e and that ivc. h a w hcrc one of those rare cases where an autliol- has lieen able t o (10 justice t o his subject in remarkably few ir-ords. and t1ut contrary t o thc 1-erhosity of so many German writers we lia\-c i i i this 1)ook a i l exceptionally terse style. While it is evident that the niaiiual Iias I ~ c e nwritten to incet the nceds of German chemists. the discussions arc oi'sucli :t iiaturc. ant1 the reference t o legal points and practice of sucli :I xractvr that it I T ~ ~ be J - consulted with profit by all experts. At ihc pr l i t tiiiie this little book is unique in its ficld. being much niorc' t liaii ;L iiiaiiual oi tlc~termiiiativctosicolog?.. The author confines Iiiiiisclf strictly t o t l i c , cliciriistr!. of thv Inatcrials discussc)d, all qwstions involviiig ph!-siological cffccts, etc., being avoided so far a s possible on the ground that sucli clucstions are not 1c.gitiiiiately those of the chemist but ratlier of tlie medical expert, and that when the chemist has reported that in his judgniciit a sti1)stancc is or is not prcscmt his work is done. A n y suliseyuent questions 3 s t o whether the inatcrial found caused dcath. or could Iia17c causctl tlcntli or \\.as prcscnt contrary to law arc not within the proviiicc ol t!w clic~iiiico-leI:.alexpci-t. The introduction is clc\-otctl lo ii vrry Iiriei stateincwt oi fundamental facts relating to poisons a i i t l norioii.; wljstaiices, much spacc being
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saved b y avoiding a n y extended discussion, and by quoting from Kobert’s “Kompendium.” Following the introduction, three chapters, forty-nine pages in all, are devoted t o the further presentation of general information for the guidance of analysts wishing t o qualify a s chemicolegal experts. For the beginner these pages are invaluable and even the experienced expert may read the suggestions of the author with profit, although the legal requirements of the German Empire are not deviated from. The suggestions made and facts here presented relate t o such important topics a s : Chapter I. General rules t o be followed in chemico-legal examinations; preliminary tests, planning the methods of analysis and the subsequent drawing u p of reports and the statement of opinions; the laws governing the fees of experts in the German Empire. Chapter 11. Poisonous materials found in foods, beverages, household articles, toys, etc., and finally in Chapter 111, the author describes the methods for the testing and purification of reagents and apparatus in greater detail and more thoroughly than in a n y other manual of like scope with which the reviewer is familiar. Part 11, comprising the bulk of the volume, is devoted t o the properties, methods of separation, identification and determination of such substances a s t h e chemical expert may be called upon t o search for. The common poisons are treated a t length and a s a rule in each case the methods given are many and varied, and the references t o the original articles full, complete and down t o date. Cross reference t o other parts of the manual greatly facilitate the work of the analyst. If any comment may be made it is that possibly too great a choice is given, but this, on t h e whole, can scarcely be called a n adverse criticism. I n the chapters devoted t o inorganic substances in addition t o the discussion of poisons, the legal questions arising concerning precious metals, their alloys, jewelry and counterfeit money are taken up. An exceedingly valuable feature adopted by the author is t o discuss in separate paragraphs under each substance treated, the materials in which the substance is t o be found, the choice of methods t o be employed and the general questions the chemist is called upon t o answer. In these respects this manual is far in advance of a n y other. The methods of presentation and the nature of the information given may best be described by illustrations taken a t random, for example. Sil,z;er-uses in the arts-forms met with in commerce-separation of silver from other elements-identification of silver-identification of silver compounds-determination of silvek-the examination of hair, textiles, papers, etc., for silver-the recognition of silver stains-hair dyes, pharmaceutical silver preparations. Phosphorus-uses in arts-forms in commerce -poisoning by phosphorus-distribution in the cadaver-detection of phosphorus-
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examination of the urine for phosphorus-identification of phosphorus compounds-determination of free phosphorus-analysis of coiiimercial phosphorus-identificatioii of phospliorous acid-phosphorus-containing compounds of commerce, matches, and mcthods for the study of matchmaking material and of the finished products with reference t o the questions arising under the laws of the German Empire. Or take chapters of great interest a t the present time t o many American chemists, those devoted t o sulphur dioxide and its salts, and to alcohol, here the subheads may be summarized as-.Sulph?*r d ioxiddc-general properties, identification, recognition in thc air, examinations of foods for sulphites, determination of sulphites in winca, bccr, ctc., their detection in flesh, in fatsthe identification and determination of sulphur dioxide in plants, the investigation and effects of flue gases, smelter fumes, etc.- and--illcohoLproperties, detection-determination -alcoholic bercrages, analytical methods of German revenue strvice, tlic recognition of denatured ‘ind renatured alcohol-tables giving perceritage composition of alcohols, etc.-detection of methyl alcohol in 1)cvcr q c s , ctc., a m ? l alcohol, etc., etc. I t will be seen from these illustration5 that the 11ooL is inuch more than a manual of chemical toxicology. The chapters devoted t o alkaloids, glucosides and other substances of vegetahle origin are complete, down t o date, and so well arranged t h a t after glancing over the book one is able t o find a t once just thc information one wishes both as t o separation methods and identity tests. The color reactions are all tabulated and so arranged :is t o render consultation easy. Here again the analyst is given a variety of mcthods with the opinion of the author as t o the choice under given conditions, a n excellent system of cross references being introducedd“toaid in comparing the reactions given by different substances. An excellent index covering both author’s names and subject matter completes the book. An appendix is devoted t o such of the laws of the German Empire as the expert chcmist must be familiar with and with a few tests and methods of investigation inadvertently omitted in the text. The book is so well written and the methods otherwise so judiciously chosen t h a t it is a matter of surprise that the author makes so little use of the microscope, a n instrument absolutely indispensable in chemico-lcgal examinations. E. 11. CHAMOT. Benedikt-Ulzer, Analyse der Fette und Wachsarten. Fifth, revised edition, by FEKIJINASD ULZER,P PASTKO\ICH A Z D 2 FI~EUSTEIN. L x g e octaxo, v i i 1168 pagei, 113 figures in tcxt Rcrliii Julius Slmnfirr. 190s Priec, >I 26 V I
The first edition of Benedikt’s Analyse der Fette appeared in 1886. Out of it have grown two monumental works which serve a s the standard guides t o the analysis of fats and waxes in the English and German lan-
