in the Forward, besides heing a history, the book is an obituary since it is published a t a moment when nuclear explosives appear to have sounded the death knell of "traditional" chemical explosives. Professor Partington points out that the use of ineendiary materials was commonplace even in ancient times. This is brought out from his extensive examination of manuscripts and evaluation of scholarly studies. His handling of source materials leads to convincing conclusions regarding some of the knotty problems and legends prevalent with regard to the subject. Very frequently he draws directly from Greek, Latin, German, and French texts to demonstrate his points, or on occasion, to show the reader that a certain conclusion is not possible. A lengthy chapter deals with the use of incendiary materials in warfare, partiicularly with Greek fire. With respect to the chemical nature of the latter, the bwk fails to arrive a t a definitive answer, but examines the various incendiaries used before the development of gunpowder and rules out five of them as not satisfying the necessary properties. The axth he suggests as most probably the substitnce which figured so prominently in the defense of Constantinople against the Muslims and the defense of Palestine against the Crusaders-a liquid composed of a petroleum distillate thickened with resinous substanoes, and possibly with added sulfur. Saltpeter (KNOa) as a possible component is ruled out because of lack of knowledge of the pure salt before the thirteenth century. The introduction of gunpowder into warfare followed the development of ealtpeter production. The confusion of ealtpeter with natron is examined, with the oonolusion that the term, as originally used, referred to sodium carbonate. Although not directly related to the s u b ject of the book, there is a good treatment of the production and use of nstron and potash in early times. A long chapter on saltpeter relates the known history of the salt and includes a comprehensive examination of the written statements about its production up to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The author points out that gunpowder was known to Roger Bacon from Arabic sources, dismissing the legend of its discovery by the Fransciscan friar. He likewise dismisses Berthold Sehwartz and tho invention of firearms as unfounded legend, particularly since no evidence for the oloric of that name exists. The use of cannon early in the fourteenth century is indicated in the frontispiece reproduced from an illustration from a manuscript dated 1326. Numerous descriptions of early cannon are included. Separate chapters deal with gunpowder in Muslim, Indian, and Chinese records. The book is a valuable study of a complicated ~ubject. It fills a place in the history of chemical industry alongside the author's definitive work an the origins of applied chemistry.
Organic Reactions.
Volume I1
Edited hy Avthur C. Cope, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 501 pp. Figs. New York, 1960. vii and tahles. 16 x 23.5 cm. $12.
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This is the eleventh volume of the wellknown series dealing comprehensively with selected organic reactions. P u b lished under a new Editor-in-Chief, this volume maintains the familiar format and high standards of earlier members of the series. The chapters included in this volume are: The Beckmann Rearrangement, by L. G. Danarums and W. Z. Heldt; 156 pp. 596 ref. The Demjanov, and TiffeneauDemjanov Ring Expansions, by P. A. 8. Smith and D. R. Baer; 32 pp., 111 ref. Arylrttion of Unsaturated Compounds by Diaaonium Salts (The Meerwein Arylation Ret~ction),by C. S. Rondestvedt, Jr.; 72 pp., 161 ref. The Favorski1 Rearrangement of Haloketones, by A. S. Kende; 56 pp., 130 ref. Olefins from Amines: The Hofmmn Elimination R e action and Amine Oxide Pyrolysis, by A. C. Cope and E. R. Trumbull; 177 pp., 398 ref. All of the reactions discussed are timely and interesting; the reviews concerning the Beckmann rearrangement and the preparation of olefins from amines are especially welcome. The pyrolysis of arnine oxides also has been discussed in a recent issue of Chemical Reviews; however, the two surveys are complementary. To date, no reactions have been reviewed in more than one volume of this series, although 20 years have now elapsed ~ i n c e Volume 1was prepared. It is hoped that future volumes will contain a second treatment of same of the more important organic reactions along with reviews of reactions not discussed previously.
practical application, and give reprodueible results in the hands of professional analytical chemists. The Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, familiarly known as the AOAC, was organized in 1884by State and Federal Chemists who were in charge of enforcement of state fertilizer laws. As the regulatory control of foods, feeds, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides became a recognieed governmental function, the AOAC has accepted the responsibility of providing accurate methods of analysis. These standard methods are used not only in enforcement of laws but by both industry and government as a basis for specifioations and contracts, and also by research workers in agriculture. The value and significance of research work which includes data on the protein fat, and carb* hydrate composition of food, for example, depends directly an standard methods for determining each of these items. In this 9th edition (1960) the AOAC presents its methods as revised since the publication of the 8th edition in 1955. New chapters on both disinfectants and drugs in feeds have been added. Numerous methods have been added in other chapters, especially in the fields of fertilizers, pesticides and pesticide residues, beverages, flavors, drugs, and nutritional adjuncts. The chapter on soils found in previous editions has been omitted. Chromatographic techniques have k e n a ~ ~ l i eind nearlv everv field of methods
colorimetrioally. A few paper chromat* graphic procedures are included far the first time. For many physiologically active materials, bioassay remains the only practicable method of analysis. As new methods are constantly heing adopted, the number of pages hss increased with each edition. The size of ROBERTK. INGHAMthe book has been controlled by abbreviating words and omittingarticles and p r e p Ohio University ositions. The format has now been reAthens vised to a larger page size containing two columns of type. The teacher of analytical chemistry Official Methods of Analysis of the should 6nd thi. volume quite valuable as a Association of Official Agricullural reference and far special assignments. Chemists The student may have some difficulty in following procedures since they are, of Edited by William Homitz, Association necessity, written as brief as possible. of Official Agricultural Chemists, Ino. 9th edition. Association of Official L. R. STONE Agriculturd Chemists, Washington, Hess & Clark, Inc. 832 pp. Figs. and D. C., 1960. xx Ashland. Ohio tables. 18 X 27 em. $17.50.
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'l'lh i* a h o k of rnethwls for analysis of foods, feeds, Irrtilizrm, druys, pestiridrs. and orhrr matFRals n,lated tu agri~wltoml products. One may find here, for example, procedures for determining phosphorus in fertilizer, DDT in dusting powder, phenol coefficient of disimfectants, alcohol in distilled liquors, vitamins in enriched bread, fat in milk, vanillin in vanilla extract, protein in stock feed, codeine in tablets, or glycerol in vanishing cream. Methods are adopted by the Association only after tests a t several different laboratories, all following the proposed method on the same A m o J. ~ IHDE sample, agree on results of analysis. Uniuevsitv of Wisconsin These planned collaborative studies insure Modison that the official methods are reliable, have
Wave Mechanics and Volency
J . W. finnett, Queen's College, Oxford, England. John Wiley & Sons 184 pp. Ine., New York, 1960. xii Figs. and tt~bles. 13 X 19 om. $3.
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"The object of this b w k is to try to explain to the experimental chemist the involved in processes and techniques the application of wave mechanics to the electronic structure of atoms and mole cules." The baak assumes that the reader has a working knowledge of calculus, such as required of our B.S. chemists, but requires no mathematics beyond this.
Volume 38, Number
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August
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