principles. The lectures do not deal solely with a consideration of those phases of chemistry which are of immediate clinical application. Fundamental chemical conceptions are discussed a t length, for it is only with a full understanding of the nature of chemical processes that intelligent applications may he made. Throughout the lectures general principles rather than details are discussed, for a knowledge of details may readily be acquired, once one's interest in the suhject has been fully aroused." Most chemists who have had neither physiological chemistry nor pharmacology should find this book well worthwhile. It is written clearly, logically, briefly, and interestingly. One might question whether the title of the hook is a fortunate one. It would seem that "Recent Applications of Chemistry in Relation to Medical Practice" would be a title more in keeping with the spirit of the hook than the title "Recent Advances-." Organic chemists, a t least, are inclined to believe that some of the "Recent Advances" are due t o them, yet almost no mention is made of their work. In this sense, therefore, the title is misleading. It is of interest to note that an unusual typographical error occurs on the title page which immediately precedes Lecture I; there the title of the book is boldly listed as "Recent Advantages in Chemistry in Relation t o Medical Practice." The "sins" of the book appear t o be more largely those of omission than of commission. The former may he justified, certainly, when i t is realized that six lectures only were included. One feature of the book a t least will undoubtedly offend many of the chemical readers; namely, the use of hydrochloric acid (p. 20) t o illustrate the mass law. Also, it would seem that some better explanation of the fact that H + and C1+ ions, hut not Na+ or K + ions, permeate the red blood cells could he found than the H9C03t equation (p. 40): NaCl HCl NaHCOa.
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AU chemists should know more than a smattering of such topics as acidosis. alkalosis, ketosis, pH, vitamins (spelled in the text as vitamines), "calorid' in relation t o diet, food fads, diets in relation t o various states of health and ill health. hormones, and similar topics. Dr. Marriott's hook may well be recommended for such a purpose. CHARLESD. HUED N O R ~ S T B RUNIVERSITY N
Organic Chemistry. A Brief ht~oductory HarCourse. JAMBSBRYANT CONANT, ~ l University. d The Macmillan Co., 291 pp. 14 X New York, 1928. ix 21.5 cm. $2.60.
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This book is one of a few recent texts in organic chemistry in which "the author has unhesitatingly departed from the traditional arrangement of the subject matter whenever such departure seemed t o promise a more interesting grouping of topics or an easier road t o a mastery of the principles of the science. The usual introductory chapter dealing with the purification of compounds, methods of analysis, and the calculation of formulas has been omitted." "The author's experience in presenting organic chemistm to a variety of classes has led him t o believe that the alcohols have certain advantages over hydrocarbons as a point of departure." We read further: "The value of the paraffin hydrocarbons t o the systematist has, in the author's opinion, led t o an overemphasis of their pedagogic importance." I n the foreword, organic chemistry is defined as the chemistry of the compounds of carbon and attention is called to the variety of its applications. The chapters, in the order of their presentation, are entitled: alcohols; ethers, alkyl halides, esters; petroleum; unsaturated hydracarbons, rubber; organic adds; esters, fats, ails, and soaps; derivatives of ammoniaamides, amines, urea; aldehydes and ketones; synthesis of organic compounds; palyhalagen compounds,
methods of determining the structure of wmplicated organic substances; dihasic acids and hydraxy acids; stereoisomerism; carbohydrates, malonic ester, and acetoacetic ester; hydrocarbons from coal tar; aryl halides and phenols; aromatic nitro compounds and amines; aminophenols and polyhydroxy compounds; diawnium salts and azo dyes; aromatic acids; aliphatic compounds with aryl p u p s ; natural and synthetic dyes and drugs: proteins. Having abandoned the hydrocarbons as a point of departure and the usual systematic order of presentation the author seems impelled by a purely utilitarian motive. I n the chapter on petroleum we read: "The alcohols and alkyl halides are often spoken of as derivatives of the parailin hydrocarbons. A derivative is a substance which might be prepared from the hydrocarbon by the replacement of a hydrogen atom by a p u p or an atom. This is a purely formal relationship which is useful in classification. It does not state that the derivatives of the hydrocarbon are prepared in this way. Indeed we shall see that they almost never are1 " Consistent with this point of view the process of substitution is not discussed in that part of the text dealing with aliphatic wmpounds. The specific terms chlorination, bromination, or halogenation are always used. Saturated hydrocarbons are first defined in the introductory paragraph of the chapter on unsaturated hydrocarhons. The original significance of the term paraffin is not disclosed. The several series of organic wmpounds are so closely inter-related that it will always be diffcult to find an order of presentation which does not either antidpate a knowledge of compounds not yet discussed or delay certain topics so that the discussion becomes disconnected. The new order of presentation does not seem to have improved the situation in this particular. For example, having discussed the alcohols in chapter I theauthor finds it necessary to return to the subject
on four separate occasions to complete the discussion. Alcohols, carboxylicacids, and aldehydes are taken up in the order given. The alkyl halides receive separate treatment fmm the inorganic esters because of their distinctive characteristic of forming Grignard reagents. The discussion of ethers, preceding these two topics, anticipates both. No two authors would select quite the same material for so brief a text. I n the present case the usual chapter on the synthesis of the homologs of benzene has been omitted and the material included in the discussion of aryl halides and aromatic ketones. The chapter on heterocyclic compounds is also omitted although furan, pyrrole, pyridine, and indaleare treated b r i d y in the chapter on natural and synthetic dyes and drugs. Quinoline and isoquinoline are not mentioned and the classification of alkaloids is not given. In view of these facts the reviewer was surprised to find more than eight pages devoted t o malonic ester and acetowtic ester. While the example of tautomeric equilibrium afforded by acetoacetic ester is almost classical it is also true that the material in this chapter is very complex. Beginning students will always confuse complexity with importance and will spend hours wmmitting to memory the stepwise reactions of the malonic ester syntheses but a t the same time will neglect the simpler and more fundamental reactions. The questions and problems at the end of the chapters are well designed for purposes of instruction, but the beginning student will no doubt be puzzled when he encounters the mixed t m e of amine for the first time in the qu&tions a t the end of the chapter on ammonia derivatives. The book is to he commended for its hrevity. Too many of our textbooks in organic chemistry tend to become wmpendiums. The material is well selected and the discussions are clear and forceful. The industrial applications of
orpanic chemistry have been brought up to date and form a distinctive feature of the text. Much tabulated material has been used to advantage, the drawings arc well executed, the printing and binding well done, and the typographical errors few. The reviewer differs fundamentally from the author as t o what constitutes the aim of an elementary course in organic chemistry. Such a course should afford the student an opportunity to do two things: firsl, t o learn the chemical characteristics of the typical functional groups, and secon3 to acquire a t least a reading knowledge of structural organic chemistry, including the inter-relation of the several typical series of compounds. The present text does the first of these in a splendid fashion. As to the second, while the subjects of isomerism, homology, and proof of constitution are adequately treated, there is little hope that the student will gain a proper perspective of systematic organic chemistry-the hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Science has been defined as classified or systematized knowledge. Organic chemistry is one of our most perfect examples. The reviewer believes the elementary student is entitled to a systematic presentation of the subject. After carefully reading the baok, he is still of the opinion that a more logical and. perhaps, an equally interesting approach to organic chemistry may be had through methane and its derivatives. CECIL E. BOARD OHIOSTATEUNIVERSITY
author has embodied in this text the material, methods, and order of presentation which he believes best suited for use in the secondary school. The preface enumerates some of the note~. m~hs, worthy paints: yiz., "short D - a l. listing of physical and chemical properties in tabular form; the printing of equations, definitions, terms, and emphasized words in bold-face type; the list of topics in column form a t the beginning of each chapter; and full questions and problem lists a t the ends of chapters." The language of this text is readily understandable by the ordinary student. Definitions are generally clear. The use of so much hold-face type, as indicated above, often gives the page a "spotty" appearance. Chemical equations are used from the very first, each formula in the early pages being accompanied by the name of the substance it represents. Later in the book some of the more complicated equations, such as that for the reaction between copper snd sulfuric acid or nitric acid in the preparation of sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, respectively, might well be made more understandable by showing the intermediate equations. The text is strongly committed to the electron theory, beginning with Chapter V, atoms and molecules, and the theory is brought in again and often in connection with such matters as: valence, equations, oxidation and reduction. The atomic numbers of the elements are given in a table on page 88 in a manner not readily understood until the accompanying text is read, and again on page 348. The High-School C h e m i s t r y . G E O R G E chart for the periodic table, however, HOWARD BRUCE,Horace Mann School does not give the a t o m ~ cnumbers. The electromotive series is considered for Boys, Teachers' College, Columbia University. World Book Co., New important enough to be given twice, 550 pp. 147 illus- once on page 220 and again on page York, 1928. x 351, with an excellent summary of the trations. 12.5 X 18.5 em. $1.68. important ideas associated with the With a background of several years' series. This w i e s might, in the reviewer's experience in teaching, and after the use judgment, be given much earlier, perhaps of this baok in mimeographed form for in connection with the chapter an hydrothree years in his own classroom, the gen, as a simple explanation of the reasons
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