New Books and Booklets a n d in the index, Winkelmann, page 603, and Peachey, pa,ge207; a n d on page 92 t h e apostrophe in W . A. Gibbons' i s misplaced. O n page 192, t h e name of t h e Journal "Rubber Cfzem. Tech." should be "Chemical Reviews" (and t h i s happens t o b e a reiference t o an article b y t h e reviewer!). I t i s unfortunate t h a t t h e transT H E thousands of chemists who h a v e found t h e German-English lators did n o t correct t h e description of t h e early- fmding Dictionary prepared especially for them b y t h e author of this crystals during t h e purification of t h e rubber hydrocarbon ( of p. second edition, will welcome t h e availability of t h e new dictionary 168). Later, Pummerer a n d von Susich, Elaulscfouk, 7, 117 which reflects the growth of t h e science, t a k e s into consideration (1931), Rubber Chem. Tech., 5, 245 (1932), showed tfciat t h e new words t o be found in recent technicai works, a n d t h e sug- crystals reported b y Pummerer a n d Koch were really c r y s t a l s gestions of those who have used the first edition. of the gutta-percha hydrocarbon, probably from an i n a i v e r t e n t I t is difficult t o review a dictionary, b u t reiying upon t h e In- mixing of a small amount of gutta-percha w i t h t h e sample of formation in the preface to t h e second edition, it m a y b e said rubber used in t h e experiments. t h a t t h e new volume, a s compared with the first, showL t h a t Those interested in rubber will find this book a veiritable mine words uncommon or unlikely to be found in technicai literature have been discarded, new ones have been added, a n d a glossary of excellent a n d useful information. HARRY L . . F E S H E R of terms relating t o atomic s t r u c t u r e has been incorporated, as have been m a n y new abbreviations. There are some 42,000 entries, n o t t o mention the increase due t o additional meanings T E S T I N G PRECIOTJS M E T A L S . IDENTIFYING, BTJYIN"G, S^LLIISTG. for old w o r d s . A s in t h e first edition, words which have t h e same C. M. Hohe. 2nd ed., revised a n d enlarged- 60 p»ages. T h e or practically t h e same spelling in both languages have been Jewelers Technical Advice Co., 22 Albany St,, Hew~ York, omitted, unless there is some special reason for including them. N.Y., 1935. Price, $1.00. In other words, t h e entire dictionary has been carefuliy gone over, enlarged as present needs seem to demand, a n d presented a s a useful tool a d a p t e d primarily to the requirements of the chemist P A R T O N E describes, in ianguage adapted t o persons w i t h o u t technicai training, tests which m a y be used. to i d e n t i f y a n d of today. distinguish silver, gold, and platinum metals a n d to estiroate t h e approximate content of precious metals (particularly gold) in T H E SCIENCE OF R U B B E R . An authorized translation of M e m m - their alloys. For this purpose use i s made of reaction w i t h acids, ler's H A N D B U C H DER K A U T S C H U K WISSENSCHAFT. Edited b y gravity, behavior on heating in a flame, a n d , especially, R. F. Dunbrook and V. N. Morris. 770 -+- X V I pages. Rein- specific comparison of unknown with Standard alloys b y means of" touchhold Publishing Corp., 332 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y., stone tests. T h e use of the touchstone is extended t o disfcinguish 1934. Price, S15. platinum from white gold, a n d palladio-platinum a l l o y s from iridio-platinum alloys. Methods a r e described f o r detecting EVERY research chemist h a s had t h e experience of reading a gold, platinum, and palladium in t h e presence of e a c h other, b y book on a particiliar subject only to find s o m a n y questions Com- rneans of stannous Chloride, a n d for detecting nickel a n d pallaing to h i s mind unanswered t h a t finally h e closes the book with a dium b y means of dimethylglyoxirne. The scope o f t h e book feeling of helplessness, t o say the least. I t is of course not always does n o t include strictly quantitative m e t h o d s of analysis or possible t o answer all these questions, b u t it is very satisfying assaying. when o n e does find a book containing t h e complete a n d latest Part two discusses t h e buying a n d selling o f old gold, silver, information on t h e work t h a t has been done to answer them. a n d platinum, and wisely steers the prospective t r a d e i a w a y from Such a book is t h e one under review. I n its 770 pages there is dealing in low-grade material, such as eleotroplated wäre a n d packed a great a m o u n t of scientific Information on all branches of sweeps. rubber, including its history, botany, and cultivation, chemistry, Part three includes a list of dealers in the equipment needed, vulcanization, chemical analysis, physics, physical testing, a n d a list of buyers of precious metals, a description o f t h e alloys rnieroscopy. commonly used for jewelry and dentistry, and other sup-plement a r y information. T h e original G e r m a n edition was edited by K . Memmler and written in collaboration with the following well-known authoriThis book should b e very useful t o the dealer in old jewelry, ties: L . Hock, E . Kindscher, A. Koch, H . Pohle, R . Pummerer, dental scrap, etc., especially if he is a novice. I t should a l s o be of A. Schob, a n d A. Zimmermann. T h e translation w a s edited b y interest to t h e small-scale manufacturing jeweier and t o dealers in R . F . Dunbrook and V . N . Morris, in collaboration with t h e jewelry. following: H . P . Albaugh, EL P. Coats, E . O. Edelmann, H . W . EDWARD W I O H E R S G r e e n u p , J . H. H o w e y , N . Johnston, F . L. Kiibourne, E. F . Scheffier, N . A. Shepard, a n d J . E. Whittenberg. All t h e T H E B R I T I S H PHARMACEUTICAL. C O D E X , 1934. Phtzrmaceutztxil translators are m e m b e r s of t h e research staff a n d laboratories of Society of Great Britain. 1768 pages. PharmaeexiticaJ Press, t h e Firestone T i r e a n d Rubber C o . T h e Firestone Company 23 ß l o o m s b u r y Sq., London, W. C. 1, England. Price, 3 5 s. deserves much credit for allowing ambitious members of its renet, postage 1 s., foreign extra. search Organization to produce a translation of such a n important a n d usef ul scientific treatise. The work helps them the most, of course, b u t i t will help m a n y others also w h o t a k e the time to read T H I S companion t o t h e British Pharmacopeia is offieially d e a n d s t u d y i t s contents. scribed a s " a n Imperial Dispensatory for t h e use of IMedical The t r a n s l a t o r s have kept to t h e same general arrangement Practitioners a n d Pharmacists," a n d supplies S t a n d a r d s for a s the original, corrected certain obvious errors, a n d checked all m a n y "unofficial" drugs a n d medicinal preparations. It i n references. The translation, wherever t h e reviewer took oc- cludes monographs o n chemical, vegetable, a n d arximal drugs; casion t o compare it with the original, is accurate, a n d the Engiish surgical dressings and the basic animal and vegetable fibers used is very readable. A valuable a n d comprehensive bibliography i n their m a n u f a e t u r e ; galenical a n d other p r e p a r a t i o n s ; a n d o n all important books and pamphlets on r u b b e r has been added. appendixes containing tables of weights and measuures, iphysica} The t r a n s l a t o r s state in t h e preface, " A n earnest endeavor has constants, general tests, reagents, methods of sterilization, a also been made t o Supplement the original work with translators' pharmacologieal index, and trade names and brief descriptioas of notes covering t h e newer developments since the German text proprietary substances. w a s written, a n d in a measure bringing t h e work u p t o date." Like t h e U. S. Dispensatory, this volume includes mornographs T h e r e a r e dozens, perhaps hundreds, of these helpful notes. o n the official (British Pharmacopeia) drugs b u t adds info»rmation Sometimes they a r e in fine print in t h e text and sometimes as foota s to their use. notes. Some a r e several pages long a n d contain important It is interesting to note t h e inclusion in the general morAOgraphs information, such as t h e "Incorporation of Compounding I n - of such proprietary drugs a s hexylresorcinol, mercurochrome, g r e d i e n t s i n L a t e x " (pp. 91-4), " D u p r e n e " (pp. 247-49), "Detersilver arsphenamine, a n d others, w i t h very recent inforaxation as m i n a t i o n of R u b b e r in R u b b e r - B e a r i n g P l a n t s " (pp. 354-55), t h e t o their value or lack of value in the conditions f o r which tfciey h a v e latest physical testing m e t h o d s with emphasis on those of Ameri- been recommended b y their Sponsors. Under raexylresoreinol a n d mereuroehrome in the index one is referred to the sp>ecifl
