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recommended because its emphasis on fundamentals provides immuniza tion against the insidious germs of the cookbook chemistry approach.
trogen-15 may be carried out, with em phasis upon methods by which the an alytical samples are converted to the gas phase at some point prior to assay. The reviewer believes the author has succeeded in his goal, "that any method described can be applied directly with out its being necessary to refer back to the original paper." Many such terms as "self-absorption" and "dead-time coincidence losses" are used without definition. This is not a serious drawback, but implies that the reader must have some prior familiarity with the subject. Some of the space,
Isotopic Gas Analysis for Biochemists.
R.F.Glascock. 246pages. Academic Press Inc., 125 East 23rd St., New York 10, N.Y., 1954. $5.80. Reviewed by CLAIB J. COLLINS,
National Laboratory, Tenn.
Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge,
Glascock discusses the methods by which the determinations of carbon-13, carbon-14, deuterium, tritium, and ni-
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however, allotted to the rather labored discussion of the minutiae of Chapter I I might better have been devoted to ex plaining (to biochemists) such phrases as "a IN34 crystal diode, used to clip positive overshoots, was inserted at the input to the second loop" (p. 66). Some unfortunate misconceptions are also implied: (pp. 88, 95) that the Van Slyke-type wet combustion appa ratus has not been adapted for con venient ion-current determination of carbon-14 samples; (p. 56) that the Borkowski-type ion chamber must be affixed to the vibrating reed with three screws rather than by the simple bayonet type of connection (this prob ably explains some of the difficulties en countered with stress currents); and (Chapter V) that it is necessary to measure the volume of gas evolved from combustion of a radioactive sample prior to assay [see 0 . K. Neville, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 70, 3501 (1948), and V. F. Raaen and G. A. Ropp, ANAL. CHEM.,
25, 174 (1953)]. The reviewer also was annoyed by such inappropriate phrases as "isotopic gas analysis," "barium radiocarbonate," and "radioactive assay methods." Despite its drawbacks the book is, in general, sound, and will undoubtedly be used by all types of chemists and not merely by biochemists alone.
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Photographic Dosimetry of X- and Gamma Rays. Margarete Ehrlich. National Bureau of Standards Hand book 57. 28 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. Government Printing Of fice, Washington 25, D. C , 1955. 15 cents. This handbook contains primary fac tual data and basic principles necessary for photographic dosimetry of x- and gamma rays. The data presented are the results of an extensive program in this field conducted over a number of years by the Radiation Physics Labora tory of the National Bureau of Stand ards. Most of the information is concerned with the use of commercial photographic film for x- and gamma-ray dosimetry. Emphasis is placed on properties of photographic emulsions that are basic to radiation dosimetry. Attention is called to limitations inherent in the methods and materials and to precau tions that should be observed. Because considerable flexibility in techniques and procedures of film dosimetry is possible without appreciable effect on the end result, no attempt is made to specify all of the details uniquely. ANALYTICAL
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