Recent Books Elementary Organic Chemistry. HOMER S. M. MCELVAIN, Departh n r ~ AND s ment of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin. F i n t edition. McGraw-Hill 183 Book ,Co., New York, 1928. xi pp. 14 X 20.5 cm. $2.25.
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This book is one of a number of similar ones written in an attempt to facilitate and improve the instruction id short courses in organic chemistry. The material is supposed to be covered in approximately fifty class periods. As stated in the preface the authors have felt that "it was not advisable to attempt any extended correlation of organic chemistry with its applications in physiological, pharmaceutical and phytochemistry and have laid the emphasis upon the characteristic reactions of the important functional groups." They have succeeded admirably in thei~purposeas but few applications of organic chemistry are given. E The authors have also succeeded in having "the skeleton of the course in the texthook" and during the fifty classroom periods considerable vitalizing of the subject, as suggested, would have to be done by the lecturer. The authors state that the arrangement of the earlier chapters is essentially that used almost fifty years ago by Professor Ira Remsen. I wander what Remsen would think of the first chapter of this book, which gives briefly the chemistry of so many typical organic compaunds in thirty-two pages. While the hook was designed for a short course considerable is left to be "vitalized" before the study of homology and isomerism is taken up. The attention of the reader is not called to any of the important topics by the usual heavy type until be reaches the middle of page 71. After the description of some of the aliphatic and aromatic compounds there is a n
additional chapter on aliphatic compounds having several functional groups, a chapter on stereo-isomerism and tautomerism, one on the carbohydrates, one on the amino acids and the proteins and then a very brief one an heterocyclic compounds. For an organic chemistry designed for the purpose that this one was the material is briefly hut well presented. The text can be recommended to teachers who desire to give a short course in organic chemistry, a practice which is becoming very popular a t the present time. I, MCMASTE~
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Organic Chemistry for Advanced Students. Jmms B. COHBN,Ph.D., D.Sc., R.R.S., Emeritus Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Leeds. Fifthedition. Longmans, Green and Co., New York, 1928. 3 vols. vii f 427. vii 487, 440 pp. $6.00 per volume. and vii
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The first volume is on reactions and includes chapters on valency of carbon, nature of organic reactions, dynamics of organic reactions and abnormal reactions. The second volume is on structure and has chapters an physical properties and structure, color and structure, isomerism and'stereoisomerism, geometric isomerism. stereochemistry of nitrogen, isomeric change and the benzene theory. The third volume is on synthesis and contains chapters on carbohydrates, fermentation and enzyme action, purine group, proteins, terpenes and camphors, and alkaloids. The book begins with a historical introduction in which the development of organic chemistry is briefly but skilfully sketched. The headings of the chapters give little idea of the wealth of their contents. In fact each is a monograph in itself. Almost every topic one can think of, finds a place in some one of the chapters.
VOL. 5, No. 8
RECENTBOOKS
The demand for a fifth edition of a book of this type, which is written for a comparatively small dass of readers, is evidence of the high esteem in which it is held. I n this edition each topic is brought up t o date, the new being added as a development of the old from which it grew so as to maintain the historical continuity. "By condensing some of the less important sections, and bv eliminatina.other portions, which have been superseded by subsequent research, the size of the present edition is only slightly larger than the last" This has been discriminatingly done. The book shows enormous reading, and a broad and sympathetic understanding of the vast field of organic chemistry. Being written by an eminent teacher it is a most valuable guide to the advanced student and is of great service to other teachers in bringing together in suggestive relation many scattered facts. E. EMMET REm
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devoted to a description of the instruments and apparatus appertaining to that field, together with numerical examples of the calculations connected with their use. Now there is little doubt but that the information of physical chemistry, which even the best Honour's candidates possess, can be set forth in a closely printed fivehundred page book, but the desirability of such a book as the medium of information, even if well written, is in the opinion of the reviewer decidedly open to question. However, granted the plan of the book is good, there are several features in the way it has been camed out that demand criticism. The presentation of fundamental theory is condensed almost t o the limit of intellegibility. By way of contrast some special topics are set forth in such a way as to impress the student unduly. Thus the old Thomson ring ,. theory of the atom is given four pages and. referred to as "one of the greatest mathematical achievements of the century" There is a notable lack of mention of American contributions to physical chemTheoretical and Experimental Physical istry, for example, there is no reference to Chemistry. JAMES CODRINGTON G. N. Lewis in the section on thermodyAND FUNKM A T T ~ WThe S, CROCEER namics. Polytechnic School, London* The MacDONALD H. ANDREWS millan Co., New York, 1928. Illus581 pp. 25 X 16 cm. Photometric Chemical Analysis. Vol. I, trated. viii Colorimetry. DR. JOHNH. YOE, Pro$6.00. fessor of Chemistry, University of VirThis text, according to the preface, is an ginia. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.. New . endeavor t o include in one volume what is York, 1928. xxi 4- 771 pp. 15 X 23 usually derived by the student from sevan. $8.50. eral sources in preparing for an Honour's Photometric analysis furnishes a conDegree or Scholarship examination in physical chemistry. There is no doubt venient, rapid, and accurate method for that the authors have in mind a high determining the concentration of various standard of excellence for such exami- materials in solution or suspension, parnations, because not only have they ticularly when the concentration is low. covered the fundamental branches of physi- The subject covers both colorimetry and cal chemistry, even to the more advanced nephelometry. For convenience, Dr. Yoe portions of each subject; for example, the has treated the subject under these two Nernst Heat Theorem in Thermodynam- heads. Vol. 11, to appear shortly, will ics: but they have also introduced chap- cover nephelometry. This book is a reference work for the ters on topics of rather isolated significance such as Tesla luminescence spec- advanced student and research worker in tra and Sugden's parachor. Moreover, a t chemistry, biology, pharmacy, and medileast a third of the space in each section is cine. No pains have been spared to make
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