DISCOVERY OF THE ELEMENTS M a r y Elvira Weeks, Detroit, with a c h a p ter on "Elements Discovered by Atomic Bombardment" by Henry M. Leicester; illustrations collected by F. D. Dains. Sixth edition, enlarged and revised. Journal of Chemical Education, Easton, Pa.. 910 pp. 16.5 X 24 cm. 1956. xi $10.00.
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I AM SURE that every chemist would find i t interesting to read a t least parts of the sixth edition, revised and enlarged, of the book "Discovery of the Elements." The book has been brought up to date; it eontnins a discussion of 101 elements, ineluding mendele ium. The section on elements known to the ancient world has been greatly enlarged, and a. mare detziled discussion is given of elements discovered during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries than in earlier editions. I have thought of this book as being of especial value to the young student of c h e m i s t ~in , providing for him an account of those aspects of the history of chemistry that he can emily appreciate and understand, and that are likely to develop his interest in science. The sixth edition may be less valuable in this way than the earlier editions. With over 900 pages, it is nearly twice as large as the fourth edition (1939)) and the various chapters, which may be looked upon as nearly independent essays, a x in general about twice as long its in the esrlier editions. These historical essays, now given in greater detail than in the earlier editions, may have become so long and so complicsted that the interest of the student would not be retained. The tale of chemical diseovcry told in the new edition is not so straightforward and so easily followed as in the earlier editions. Nevertheless, the book ia an excellent one, satisfying the real need for an account of the historv of the discoverv of the elements and ofrelated aspects the history of ohemistry. Perusal of the book has raised in my mind the question as to whebher the decisions about the names of the elements that have been made during recent years by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry have been in all cases correct. First, there is the question of the choice between columbium and niabinm. There is no doubt that this element was discovered in 1801 by the English rhemist Charles Hntchett, who named it columbium; I do not understand why the name eolumbium should not be accepted. Secand, there is the choice between the names erythronium and vanadium. A. h1. del Rio, Professor of Mineralogy in the School of Mines in Mexico City, discovered a new element in s lead ore in the year 1801, and named it erythronium. Later he became doubtful about his discovery; he thought that the element might be identi-
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VOLUME 34, NO. 1, JANUARY, 1957
cal with chromium, which had been discovered in 1798, and he did not have a sufficiently detailed account of the properties of chromium to permit him to distinguish between chromium and his element. The Swedish chemist Sefstrem rediscovered erythronium in 1830,and named i t vanadium. Wehler had also reinvestigated the Mexican ore in which del Ria had identified erythronium, and h? immediately stated that vanadlum was identical with erythronium, tho elcment reported by del Ria. Perhaps the general use of the name vanadium for this element over a period of more than 100 years and the fact also that del Rio developed some doubt about his discoverv justifv the continuation of the use of the namekanadinm for this element, but similar argummts do not apply to columbium, and I think that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry should be urged to reconsider the decision to abandon eolumbium in favor of niobium as the name of element 41.
coverage of European literature is particularly good, and the authors have used critical judgment for the most part in selecting their references although same questionable work is cited in the organometallic field. There are few omissions: the fortunate solubility of LiAlH, in ether-benzene mixtures is not mentioned (p. 5) although it is implied in another connectlon. Only ten lines are devoted to the hazard of the reagent, and no specific caution is cited re use withcertain methyl ethers, perfluomacids or nitro compounds. Every organic chemist will find this inexpensive book very useful. The authors have done us all a scholarly service. THOMAS R. P. GIBB. JR. Turn8 U ~ m ~ n s m r MEDFORO. M*BB*CX"SETTB
THE CHEMISTRY AND FERTILITY OF SEA WATERS
H. W. Horvey, Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, England. University Press, Cambridge, 1955. viii 224 pp. 14 X 22 Em. $5.50.
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LITHIUM ALUMINUM HYDRIDE IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
V. M. Micovic, Professor of Chemistry, and M. Lj. Mihailovic, Lecturer in Chemistry, both of University of Belgrade. (Foreword by H. I. Schlesinger.) Haucna Rnjiga, Beograd, 1955. xi 193 pp. 17.5 X 24.5 cm. Paper bound. $3. (Available from Serbian Academy of Sciences, Knez Mihailova 35, Beograd, Yugoslavia.)
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THE value of this little book is a t once apparent from the fact that it presents in s. lucid, well-organized manner the highlights of nearly all pertinent work carried out through October, 1954. Some 1700 references are cited, one statement indeed being supported by no Less than 89 references, and the book is profusely illustrated with carefully drawn st,ructurd formulas and eqnations. The twenty-five chapters are concise, readable, and deal in turn with general considerations, reactions with inorganic and organometallic compounds, compounds containing active hydrogen, a long sequence of reductions ranging from those of simple cmborbonyl compounds through the less familiar formasans, epithio compounds, etc., and concluding with a three-page discussion of the hydride reduction mechanism. The sort of information conhined in this oomprehensive review is largely avnilable in other works but not perhaps in as convenient or complete a form. The
Tnrs book follows, and is in fact a thorough revision of, the author's two earlier works: "Chemistry and Physics of Sea Water," and "Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Biology of Sea Water." I t does not cover quite as bmad a field as the former of these, however. Taken together, these books have been just about the only collected accounts, in English, of our knowledge of the application of chemistry to the field of oceanography and marine soienoe. The suthor has himself been one of the most prolific contributors to this knowledge, and his books inevitably follow his own personal lines of interest. Up to the present, chemistry's contribution to marine science has been almost entirely its assistance to biology in explaining the peculiar variations in the "fertility of the sea." While it is certainly not a comprehensive review of the original literature, this little book summarizes the progress that has been made in this direction. I t probably represents the end of an era, however, for the interests of chemists in this field are nos morecommonly directed elsewhere, particularly into general geochemied pproblems. Part I ia entitled The Environment of the Fauna and Flora, and its chapters deal with the chemical composition of sea water and its movements, the changes in its composition due to animals, plants. and bacteria, and the factors influencing the growth of plants. Part 11, The Chemistrv of Sea Water. deals with the maim
